Death at Hogwarts
by Faron Oakenshield
Summary: Humans know them as the 'Deathly Hallows' I know them as mine. I am the Grim Reaper, and I'm taking back what belongs to me.
1. Chapter 1

**Right, firstly I'd just like to point out that this story actually belongs to my partner, who had asked me to post this up for them. Please give it a read and I hope you enjoy and secondly, I know this chapter is short, but they'll get longer. xx**

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I stared around, wondering where I was now, the heavy rain and cold wind blowing through me as I caught sight of the huge castle in front of me. I knew where I was now. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So that's where my wand was.

I sighed, wondering just how many mortal lives were going to become tangled with mine as I took my wand back. I knew there was a story about the three Peverell brothers and I, where I had given them my wand, cloak and a stone. What the story never said was that the wand was actually part of my scythe, the cloak was a scrap of my robe, and the stone was simply a pebble that I had enchanted, to allow the user to see their dearly departed.

I looked down at myself, my black robe billowing in the wind, my feet poking out from under the dark robe that was darker than the darkness itself and I heaved a sigh. If I was to take my things back, I was going to have to find out who owned them, and I was hoping that it would not take too long, I had souls to Harvest. Thankfully, over the aeons, mortal souls had begun moving on of their own accord, I rarely had to show up any more, except for the more violent deaths. Where magical deaths were concerned, particularly the Avada Kedavra curse, I didn't have to go there at all, merely peek to make sure they had moved on, or, in some cases, stayed behind as a ghost.

I shook my head and walked on towards the great castle and knocked on the doors, taking on the form of a sixteen year old young man, with dark hair, piercing blue eyes and wearing a black cloak, I now looked like a wizard.

I just hoped no one in the school found out who I really was.

After all, mortals finding out that Death had a personified form would not do at all now, would it?


	2. Chapter 2

I looked up as the half giant, Rubeus Hagrid answered the doors, looking round and then finally down, noticing me at last.

"Oh 'ello!" he said. "'How can I help you?"

"Well. . .I'm soaked to the bone. Might I stay the night?" I asked, getting my tongue round the current way mortals spoke.

"Oh, o' course! Come in!" he said, moving out of the way as I entered Hogwarts. The entrance hall was enormous and could probably fit a mortal house several times over.

"Jus' wait here while I go tell the Headmaster." Hagrid said to me while lumbering off towards the sound of five hundred chatting students. As I gazed round the huge hall, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the students came pouring out like a wave, chattering amongst themselves. Upon seeing me, some of the looked at me, some stared at me, and some, particularly Slytherins, didn't bother giving me a glance at all.

I shook my head as Albus Dumbledore came out of the Great Hall and smiled at me. I took a good look at his long white beard, wondering how he was still alive. No matter. His death would come far sooner than anyone was expecting. Of course, he knew of it and had already made plans. All the great wizards knew when I was coming for them. I had to wonder if he could see through my disguise as his calm blue gaze seemed to x-ray me.

I smiled at him and he beamed back.

"So you need a place to stay for the night to ride out the storm?" he asked.

I nodded again, playing it safe.

"Feel free to stay as long as you like, consider yourself a guest here, go where you like, and think of this place as your home." he said, graciously.

I was very pleased with his words. It made everything so much easier.

The caretaker, Argus Filch reluctantly showed me to my room, which was nice enough and had everything I needed and everything I didn't need. The only thing in it that I needed was a place to sit and a mirror. The bed was completely unnecessary, as was the wardrobe.

I sat down on a chair at the dressing table, which had a mirror on it, and stared deep into it and deeper still. After a few seconds, my disguise faded and I was left staring at my own skeletal reflection, my hooded robe hiding my bare skull as I took the form that most mortals saw me as, and one which I had permanently adopted until their look of me changed. I was the Grim Reaper, and as such, changed as people's perception of me changed.

A few centuries ago, I had been called the Devil, something I found funny, as I wasn't evil, but then again, I wasn't good either. I simply was.

Looking round the room again, I decided to go see Albus and have a talk with him.

Arriving at his room, I knocked upon the door, something I had never really had to do.

"Enter."

I walked in and closed the door behind me and sat down at his request.

"Ah, yes. I don't believe I introduced myself. I am -"

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I finished for him.

"So it really is you. Either you are early, or I am late." he said.

"You misunderstand my reasons." I said. "I am not here for you – yet. I am here for my things."

He looked confused, and I looked to the wand that was laid out in front of him.

"You call them the Hallows." I said softly.

"But. . .no, you can't be here for them – Harry hasn't defeated Voldemort yet."

"That is of no concern to me. I want back what is mine, especially the Stone and the Cloak."

"Why the Cloak? You can't be seen by humans anyway."

I transformed into the Grim Reaper and held up the arm of my robe, showing where it was frayed.

"Five hundred and sixty four years it has taken to heal, Albus! I need my Cloak back so I can finish repairing it. Then Harry can have it back. I only need it for a minute."

He nodded.

"I will talk with Harry and ask to borrow his Cloak. He will not refuse."

"Good." I said, pleased. "Be warned though – I do intend to stay here for a while. You know, of course that your time ends this year, correct?"

He sighed sadly. "Yes. One way or another, I will die this year. If not by Draco's hands, then by Severus'."

I watched him quietly.

"But of course, to the adventurous mind, death is but the next big adventure." he said, smiling.

"If you want to call it that, sure." I said, a little confused. Mortals could be so strange sometimes.

"I will have a bed made for you in one of the rooms we have."

"Actually, given that my current appearance is that of a young man of sixteen, I think it would be a better idea if I were to be in one of the dormitories." I suggested.

"Excellent idea. Which House?"

"Gryffindor." I said immediately. "He was nice when he died, didn't complain but spoke to me as though I was a friend, much like Ignotus Peverell."

Albus smiled. "What on earth made you give them the Hallows?"

"Made? Nothing. I was testing them. Ignotus, I saw would love my ability of invisibility, so I took a small portion of my own robe and fashioned the Cloak. Cadmus was very arrogant and wanted to humiliate me. I knew he would ask for a way to bring others back from death, though only I can do that – so I gave him the power to call their spirits back, but not their bodies. Antioch wished for pure power, much like Tom does now, so I took a splinter from my scythe and fashioned the Wand."

"The stories say you took a branch from a tree. . ." he looked confused.

"Stories change over time, Albus. The current story is incorrect. It states I sought Ignotus out – I did not. I knew he would come to me when his time was up, and he did, gladly."

Albus nodded. "I'll have you put into Gryffindor immediately then. If anyone asks, you're here from Durmstrang, about to become a Hogwarts student."

I nodded and left, heading to the Gryffindor Common Room, whereupon I was stopped by a portrait of a plump woman in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked imperiously, gazing at me.

Damn. I hadn't got the password.

Looking round to ensure no one saw me, I transformed and she screamed.

"Now let me in." I said, walking right through her.

"Well, I say!" I heard her gasp as I strode on through, reverting back to my human guise as I entered the Common Room, which, thankfully, was deserted.

I took a good look around, admiring the warm colours, and the way the room seemed to make you immediately feel right at home, safe and secure. Whether the students realised it or not, this room was full of magic designed to make them feel safe when they were in here.

I suddenly sensed someone and turned around to see a young man with jet black hair and emerald green eyes stood staring at me, the scar on his forehead telling me what I already knew. This was the boy with two souls – Harry James Potter, the unwilling Horcrux.


	3. Chapter 3

As I stared back at him, I felt the part of him that was Tom Riddle shrink away from me in fear.

"Who're you?" Harry asked me.

I hadn't thought of that. I needed a name, and fast.

I settled on going with what everyone knew me as, but making a name from it.

"Dean. Dean Eath. I'm a transfer student from Durmstrang. Didn't like it there much, and I must say, Hogwarts is so much nicer."

He simply nodded and cast a gaze over my soaked clothing.

"Why don't you just dry your clothes out with magic?" he asked.

Of course. Wizards used magic for pretty much everything. I blinked and my clothes dried themselves instantly. I didn't use magic, not in the way they did. For me, I just thought of things and they happened. Like magic.

"You're good at non-verbal spells." Harry remarked as he walked back up to the dormitory. I followed him.

"Yes, magic seems to happen naturally for me." I replied, looking to where my bed was, right in between Harry's and Ronald's.

Harry climbed into bed and I glanced over to where Ronald was already fast asleep, his red hair tumbling over his face as he slept.

"Well. . .goodnight." Harry said awkwardly, though the attempt at niceties was evident in his voice.

"Goodnight, Harry Potter." I said, sitting on my bed and staring out of the window.

Harry, not questioning how I knew his name, turned over and was almost immediately asleep. Soon after, I looked round, ensuring everyone was asleep and decided to take a late night walk. No one was due for a while yet, unless you counted Verity Sage, seventy three, who was going to die in a week's time from falling down her stairs after forgetting to move that book that she had placed just so, so she wouldn't forget where it was.

Standing, I made my way down to the Common Room and looked at the few books that were on offer. I did like to read. It passed the time quite nicely, and the way I saw it, reading a book was like delving into someone's mind, it was full of their ideas, whether the book was fiction or non fiction. I didn't have a personal favourite type of book; I'd read anything I could. Picking up a rather battered copy of Hogwarts: A History, followed immediately by A History of Magic, I settled into the sofa in front of the fire and began reading, my long fingers curling around the cover of the book to hold it comfortably in my grasp, just the way I liked it. Humans would call it Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I called it, quite simply, my way or the highway. I liked things done a certain way, and why not, I'd done them that way for thousands of years; why change now?

As the storm continued around me, I immersed myself in Hogwarts' colourful history, and magic's history I found to be quite typical of mortals. Show them something they didn't understand and they ran for the hills and locked themselves in and you out. Failing that, they killed you, and, if you couldn't be killed, simply ignored you.

Night faded into day and the castle began to slowly awaken. Numerous Gryffindor students came down, stopping dead when they found me sat on the sofa, reading.

Harry came over and sat down with Ronald and Hermione.

"Hi Dean. This is Ron and Hermione."

I looked up at them all and closed my book. "Hello Ron, Hermione."

"Dean Eath?" Hermione asked.

I nodded.

"Hey, cool, your name spells Death!" Ron exclaimed.

Looks like I hadn't been as smart as I thought – I was thinking too mortal. Then again, it was so obvious no one would ever get it – right?

"Ha, ha. Yes. Funny thing." I said lamely, looking around the room as they sat down.

"So you transferred from Durmstrang?" Hermione asked, looking intrigued.

"Yes. I was there from the first year, but I felt it wasn't giving me enough of a challenge, so I came to Hogwarts."

Hermione's eyes bored into me. I knew plenty about her, more than enough to know I was hitting all the right buttons for her to end up having a full conversation with me, which would push them away from my name. Hermione was smart. Too smart. Unless I was very careful, she was going to realise who I was, and I couldn't be dealing with other people finding out.

"Where abouts are you in the learning curriculum?" she asked me.

"Well, when I left, we'd just learnt non-verbal magic, which we had a test in before I left."

"You get tested in non-verbal magic in your fifth year? But we don't even start learning that until the sixth!" Hermione said, looking shocked.

I smiled.

"Well, I guess different schools teach different things at different times."

"I suppose you knew Krum." Ron's tone was grumpy, and I knew he didn't like Krum much at all.

"I knew him, yes. We weren't friends though, I doubt he even knew of my existence, I was always too absorbed in the library reading."

Hermione nodded sympathetically.

"Just like Hermione, then." Ron observed, causing Hermione to slap his arm with a scowl.

"It's nice to find someone who enjoys learning as much as I do. Although I must admit, sometimes I've broken a few rules to get where I needed to, or to help someone."

All three of them looked at me, and I knew I had them. It was important for me to make friends with the three of them, especially since they would soon go looking for Tom Riddle's Horcruxes and the Hallows. I needed to get a look at Harry's cloak though, and hold it long enough for my own Cloak to repair itself.

I didn't know whether it would be going too fast, but I needed to see the Cloak as soon as possible.

"I used to have an Invisibility Cloak, and I'd go sneaking round at night, sometimes in the Restricted Section of the Library."

Ron's eyes lit up, and I knew what was coming.

"Harry has an Invisibility Cloak." he said in a low voice, ensuring no one would hear us.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "That's for Harry to say, not you!"

"No, it's okay." Harry said, looking at me.

"Really?" I said, putting interest into my voice. "Can I see?"

He nodded and went upstairs, Hermione, Ron and I followed him to his trunk at the end of his bed, where he pulled the Cloak out. I smiled as I gazed at it. Centuries had done nothing to diminish it's powers – and why should they? The Cloak had originally been mine, after all.

"Wow. . ." I said softly as Harry handed it to me. Immediately, I felt the power of the Cloak running towards my own Cloak and the two became one for a moment while Harry's Cloak repaired my own. Within a second or two, my Cloak was whole once more. Smiling, I handed Harry his Cloak back and he put it away.

"Something tells me being friends with you three is going to prove very interesting." I said. The others laughed and we all headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I hope they have pudding . . ." I thought to myself as we walked off.


	4. Chapter 4

They did indeed have pudding, I was pleased to see. I didn't normally eat, but pudding tasted great, and when cooked with a helping of magic, even more so.

Taking a big helping of a scrumptious looking chocolate gateau, I started to tuck in, when I suddenly felt a pair of eyes on me. Turning round I saw Luna Lovegood staring at me, her eyes seeming to stare right through me, a dreamy smile on her face. I smiled at her and her eyes suddenly snapped back into focus and she smiled and waved at me. I waved back.

"You know Luna?" Harry asked, seeing this.

"Oh yes, Luna and I go way back." I smiled.

I turned back to my pudding and went to take a bite, when the whole thing vanished from my plate, along with the entire feast.

Harry must have noticed my look of dismay because he said "Don't worry, just means the feast is over for now until dinner."

I nodded and got up and walked right into Luna.

"Hello." she said, smiling.

"Hello Luna Lovegood. It's been a while."

The two of us walked out of the Great Hall, Luna informing me that due to this year being her OWLs year, she had first period free.

"So what are you doing here at Hogwarts then?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"I'm here for what your kind call the Deathly Hallows."

"Oh, Daddy was telling me about those. The wand, stone and cloak, right?" she said brightly.

"Yes. I already have the Cloak -"

"You mean Harry's Cloak."

". . .Yes." I said, not bothering to ask how she knew. "All I need is the Wand and Stone now."

"Is my mum okay?"

There was the question I knew she would ask; the selfsame question she had asked six years ago.

"Your mother is fine, happy and watching over you, just like she always did." I replied.

"How long will you be at Hogwarts for?"

"This year, I think, although something tells me I'll be with Harry, Ronald and Hermione next year as well. This could throw off my duties somewhat."

Luna smiled. "You know, I still don't understand why everyone thinks you're bad. You're actually a very nice Angel and a very nice person, you just have a very important job to do."

I smiled at that. "Why thank you, Luna. You're a very nice person yourself."

"Is anyone going to die this year?" she asked.

"Luna, you know I can't tell you that."

"I know, but I thought I'd ask anyway." she replied with a smile.

"So exactly when is Dumbledore going to die this year?" she asked suddenly.

I stopped short and turned to stare at her.

"How did you – ah."

She merely smiled at me, her silvery grey eyes shining with silent mirth as she knew I'd got it, understood what she'd been trying to tell me without words.

"How long have you been able to see the future?"

"Since I was nine and we met for the first time. You took my hand and that's when I saw a Thestral for the first time. Two weeks later I had a vision that came true, and I knew that touching your hand had done something, woken something inside me."

"That would make sense. After all, being touched by Death is a huge shock to the living body, and since I'm an Angel, it's bound to touch part of your soul that you wouldn't normally have access to."

"Before then I'd only ever had one vision."

I nodded as I already knew this. No one else knew Luna could see the future, not even her father. It was the secret she guarded more than any other, wanting to keep at least one thing just to herself.

"I'm surprised you haven't told anyone you've seen Albus falling from the Astronomy Tower." I remarked.

"Why would I?" she replied. "Everything happens for a reason, so Dumblebore's death, as sad as it is, will also happen for a reason, who am I to fight against what can't be changed?"

"What makes you so sure the vision can't be changed?" I asked, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

"It was purple."

"What?"

"It was purple. Everything in the vision had purple somewhere, like the sky was dark purple instead of black even though it was night time. If a vision has any purple in, I can't change any of it, but if it has any other colours, then I can change it."

"How long did it take you to work that out?" I asked curiously.

"Two years. I figured it out just before I came to Hogwarts and decided to keep it a secret from everyone, even Professor Trelawney."

"How did that work out?" I asked as we walked out into the courtyard, where a pleasant, gentle breeze swept leaves into the air and across the beautiful landscape.

"Very well, actually." she said. "I've never told anyone, and the only thing Professor Trelawney told me was that I had the Gift. Then she told me I was going to die."

"Oh she tells everyone that." I scoffed. "You've got plenty of time left yet. Well, for a mortal anyway."

"That's interesting." she said.

"I expect you'll stay with Harry, Ron and Hermione won't you? After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wants Harry dead, and they both have to fight sometime, so you'll probably stick around until one of them dies, right?"

I hadn't thought of that.

"That's not a bad idea." I mused, walking across the covered bridge nearby with her, looking out across the landscape at the sunlight glistening on the still waters of the lake as we did so.

"Would you like to go see the Thestrals with me?" she asked suddenly.

"Why not?" I said, following her into the Forest, where we soon found part of the domesticated herd of Thestrals. Immediately, sensing who I was, they all trotted over to say hello and nuzzle me. I smiled and transformed without meaning to as I gently caressed their snouts and patted their backs.

"Fine creatures, Thestrals. They get you exactly where you want to go and are very loyal and friendly once you get to know them." I said, realising I'd transformed and reverting back to Dean Eath quickly.

"I know. I love them." Luna said simply, stroking a Thestral and kissing it's velvet snout.

Luna suddenly looked at the time.

"Oh, I have to go now, I need to get to Transfiguration. It was nice meeting you again, Death. Goodbye!" she called, heading off at a slow pace, smiling all the while.

I shook my head with a rueful grin. That girl. . .for a mortal, she was very kind, sweet and perceptive. It was actually rather refreshing, but also annoying. All the same, I liked and respected her a great deal. Hers was one of the purest souls I had ever met, and I found myself perpetually intrigued by her, wondering what she was going to make of herself in this life.

I suddenly decided to go have a wander round the castle, see what I could find out about the other Hallows.

I knew one thing though; once I had all the Hallows and had fully repaired everything I needed to, I was going to be sticking very close to Harry, Ronald and Hermione. They would lead me to the one who had cheated me time and again; Tom Marvolo Riddle.


	5. Chapter 5

I soon found myself outside Dumbledore's office. Walking inside, I saw him fingering a ring on his right hand, which was blackened and shrivelled.

"A Horcrux, I see?" I said, walking in and sitting down.

He looked up and nodded.

"This ring cost me my hand, as you can see. There's no cure for it, and it worries me to think what lengths Voldemort has gone to to protect his Horcruxes."

"He's been running from me for fifteen years now, Albus. Of course he wants to protect himself – he thinks he can make himself truly Immortal!"

"Is that even possible?"

"Yes, actually." I admitted. "It's entirely possible for you mortals to make yourselves Immortal. Nicholas Flamel was a good example. The Philosopher's Stone made him Immortal to the point where he couldn't die at all, unless he was blown up or something. Voldemort is the second wizard I've known who has come close to achieving Immortality. Thanks to Harry being a Horcrux, neither of them can die."

"Tell me one thing." Albus said quietly, steepling his hands and gazing at me over the top of his half-moon glasses. "When Harry and Voldemort finally fight, and Harry dies, which he will have to, being a Horcrux, will his soul become whole, be fully his?"

"Yes." I replied. "The protection Harry carries within his veins now runs through Voldemort's. However, there's a huge drawback, as you no doubt already know."

"I have. . . guessed, yes."

"The charm in them stops Harry from actually dying, making him, in a way, immortal. Voldemort cannot kill him now. Neither can live at all while the other survives. However, if I am correct, by this time, Harry will have the Elder Wand, as you have no doubt planned for."

"Yes." he said simply.

"Alright then. You can borrow it, just for a little longer, but as soon as Harry's done with it, I want it back. Got that?"

"Don't you need to just hold the Wand?"

I nodded and held my hand out for it, and it flew unbidden into my hands, and I felt the power coursing through me as my scythe appeared, and a copy of the Wand split off and merged into the scythe, which began to hum, whole once more, and a second copy of the Wand floated off back into Albus' hand, while I took the original and stashed it into my pocket.

"Will this wand work still?" he asked.

"Oh yes." I replied. "It's an exact copy, perfect in every way. Once Harry has finished with it, it will return to me and become one with the real Wand once more, and then I can leave here."

"But you intend to stay here until then?"

"Yes. I'll admit, I quite like being around you mortals, even if I have to maintain a human form to be among you. I do want to tell Harry, Ronald and Hermione who I am, but I do not want them. . . freaking out, I believe is the term."

Albus chuckled as I got my tongue round the term. "Why don't you mortals just say what you mean?" I demanded. "It's maddening how you have so many words for a single meaning!"

He chuckled again, and I sensed someone at the bottom of the stairs and turned.

"I had better leave you now, Albus. Minerva McGonagall is here to see you." I said, leaving and walking past McGonagall who smiled at me kindly. I returned the smile and hurried on.

I walked on, bumping into Luna once more, who was reading The Quibbler.

"Oh, hello." she said, glancing up to smile at me.

"Hello Luna." I said, smiling back at her. "Enjoying that?"

"Oh, yes, it's fascinating how many people don't know of the spell that turns your enemies ears into kumquats!" she said, her tone eager as she showed me the spell, which she explained was set in runes, and only those who could decipher the runes could use the spell.

"There's been a spelling error here. The spell reads gisadego, when it should read gisagedo." I said.

"Oh! Now I finally know the spell!" Luna exclaimed. "I did wonder why it wasn't working, I thought maybe I was saying it wrong or something."

"Oh no. Just try it next time someone annoys you, but remember you can turn their ears back by-"

"Saying the spell in reverse, yes. Odegasig." she said, smiling.

"Honestly, you are really nice. Why is everyone so afraid of you?"

I smiled as she asked the question for the second time.

"Because no one living knows what comes after death. Everyone fears the unknown simply because they do not know. Your kind have always feared that which they do not know."

"I don't." she replied. "I think it's nice to have some mysteries in the world, after all, a world without mystery would be a boring one, and we need mystery to add excitement and happiness to our lives."

I smiled at her words. She was one of the first humans I'd been able to chat with in centuries, and it was refreshing to have an intelligent conversation with one so young, but then again, as I was to find out, Luna Lovegood knew far more than she was letting on. . .she always had.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later, I was sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. I'd taken hold of the final Hallow, the Resurrection Stone and taken what I needed from it and left it with Dumbledore, who had put the ring inside the very first Snitch Harry had caught, and enchanted it so that when Harry put his lips to it, the words 'I open at the close' would appear, meaning that the moment Harry put his lips to it and said 'I am about to die' the ring would appear. It was quite a clever enchantment really. Now I had all three back, I just had to stick with the trio, which was proving easy, as they were very friendly, and trusted me a lot. I'd never been trusted like this before, except by Luna, and I had to admit it was nice.

Hermione was sat poring over a book, and Harry was looking through a battered copy of Advanced Potion Making. I knew from looking that the book had previously belonged to Severus Snape, and that there were some pretty bad spells in there.

"Hermione." Harry said suddenly. "Have you ever heard of a spell called Sectumsempra?"

"No I haven't." she replied, giving the book a dirty look. "I wish you'd stop using that book, Harry, it feels wrong!"

"It's just a book, Hermione!" Harry said with a slight laugh, one which Hermione did not return, simply huffing and going back to her own book.

"Tom Riddle's diary was just a book though wasn't it?" Ron said quietly, shutting them both up.

Ah yes, the diary. The first Horcrux Harry ever encountered, and unknowingly destroyed.

In my robe, I had with me Tom Riddle's Hourglass, which contained his time. Every time a Horcrux was destroyed, the time in it vanished a little bit more. It was still nearly full, what with only two Horcruxes having being destroyed.

"Look, this book isn't dangerous, it's really useful." Harry protested.

"You're only saying that because it helps you be the best at Potions." Hermione said icily, her eyes narrowing with distaste at the book in Harry's hands.

"It's not that, Hermione!" Harry said. "Look, I'm going to bed."

He stood and went upstairs to the boys dorm, leaving an uneasy silence behind him.

"I wonder what's got him so irritated." I said mildly, reading through a copy of The Quibbler Luna had given me. It was quite an entertaining read, really.

"Oh, he's just. . ." Hermione said, not actually saying what Harry was.

"Just being annoying, and not listening to you when you know you're right about it." I said, filling in the unspoken words that she didn't want to say.

She looked surprised, but nodded.

"Because for once, you wish he'd listen to reason and stop rushing off and not stopping once to think." I continued, surprising her again as she nodded.

I watched as Hermione and Ron headed their separate ways to bed, while I sat musing silently over what was to come. I knew how the big things would play out of course, but it was the little things mortals did that fascinated me. Things like television, broomsticks, telephones and elevators. . .They all fascinated me as to the lengths mortals went to make their lives easier.

As I sat musing, I heard footsteps coming from the girls dormitory and looked over to see Hermione walking in. She sat down and stared at me for a while. I simply stared back, a smile on my face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"You tell me." she said. "I mean, you of all people would know, right?"

"Me?" I laughed. "Why would I know Hermione?"

"Because you're Death."


	7. Chapter 7

"My name does spell Death, yes." I said calmly, not betraying my inner panic. She'd worked me out already, and I'd been here but a week.

"No, I mean you're Death, the Grim Reaper. You don't have to hide any more. I know what you are." she said, her voice trembling a little; she was horribly afraid she'd made a terrible mistake.

"How did you work it out?" I asked, eyeing her.

She sat up a little and took a breath.

"Well, when I asked you about the learning curriculum when we met, you told me you'd learnt non-verbal magic in your fifth year. Durmstrang doesn't teach non-verbal until seventh year, no matter how advanced the students are. I asked Viktor about it and he told me it was impossible, and that he'd never heard of you, and he knew everyone. Then there's the fact that I heard Luna call you Death, of course, with it being Luna, I dismissed it, but you knew everything I was going to say, before I even knew I was thinking it. Not even a clairvoyant would be that good. You also seem to know far too much about all the House Ghosts, and speak to them as if you know them. I did some research and realised the only one who would know so much about them, especially such personal things, is Death."

I smiled at her. She really was smart.

"You're good." I said. "I thought you'd figure me out sooner or later."

"So. . .You really are Death?"

I chuckled. Humans. They say they have things all worked out about you, you admit it and they still want proof. Very well then. If it was proof she wanted, proof she would have. I dropped the disguise, revealing myself as the Grim Reaper the human race saw me as and she gasped and shrank back a little.

I simply stared at her, unmoving while she got over her fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you Hermione." I said.

"W-why are you here?"

"I can't tell you that right now. All I will say right now, is that I really am your friend. Yours, Harry's and Ron's."

Her wide eyes took in my skeletal appearance, and not for the first time, I cursed the mortals who had started this all off. I only appeared as a hooded skeleton with a scythe because mortals believed that was how I looked. Centuries ago, they believed I was a God. That's mortals for you, changing their minds all the time.

"I promise." I said softly, reverting back to the form of Dean. She nodded and let out a shaky sigh.

"This is all so. . ."

"You're telling me."

"I think I need to lie down. . ." she said, sounding faint. I nodded as she stood up, took a few steps towards the girl's dormitory and collapsed.

"Damnit!" I cursed, running over and lifting her into my arms. I started walking up the girl's staircase when I sensed the stairs changing into a slide, and Hermione and I slid down them. I forgot the stairs would not allow a boy up them. Very well. I wouldn't be a boy. I transformed again, and, holding Hermione's limp form in my arms, walked up the stairs, which now allowed me access. As the Grim Reaper I was neither male nor female, I simply was. I just sounded male. I actually had no gender, I was simply more comfortable appearing in male form to humans. I walked into her dormitory to where the other girls were sleeping soundly, Lavender making little whimpering noises in her sleep. Using a small piece of magic, I moved Hermione's bedclothes back as I approached. Placing Hermione into her bed and covering her up, I gazed down at her. She had so much heartache and sorrow coming her way, but she would survive. She had Harry and Ron, and now me. I intended to be there with them all the way until Tom Riddle was dead in front of me. His soul would be mine.

The next morning, Hermione came downstairs to where I was sat by the fire and sat next to me.

"I. . .sorry about last night. I've never fainted like that before."

"It's alright. Your brain overloaded with information. I gave you too much to take in at once. I apologise." I replied, smiling at her.

She gave a weak smile in return, then looked up as Harry and Ron came downstairs.

"I'm telling you Harry, I don't want to! I'm rubbish!" Ron moaned, slumping into a chair.

"Rubbish at what?" I asked, wondering what on earth he was complaining about now.

"The Quidditch match today. I'm rubbish, I don't know what I was thinking trying out!"

"Ron, you got the part didn't you? You're going to be fine!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "You have nothing to worry about!"

"Easy for you to say! You haven't got to face a load of people on brooms throwing balls at you!" he exclaimed, putting his head in his hands.

"Let's just go. . .get some breakfast." I suggested, getting my tongue around the words. I hadn't eaten in centuries, had no reason to. Still, food was something to enjoy every now and then.

Ron nodded, standing and pulling his Quidditch top straight and walking out, followed by Harry. Hermione stayed behind a moment to look at me.

"What you said last night. It was real, right? You're really. . .?"

I nodded and she simply nodded back and left. I smiled to myself and followed her to the Great Hall, where everyone was sat eating. The Slytherins booed loudly when Ron walked in and began singing a song that seemed to be something along the lines of 'Weasley is our King.' I had no idea why they'd sing it, as Ron was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. However, as I listened, I soon understood the meaning behind their cruel song. Weasley cannot save a thing, hm? We would see about that.

I watched as Ron ate little food, certainly not acting like the human garbage can he usually was. As he looked away for a moment, I saw Harry tip his hand over Ron's drink, almost as though he was putting something into it.

"Is that a tonic?" Luna asked, appearing suddenly out nowhere and peering at Ron's drink.

Ron whipped round and stared at Harry.

"Did you put Felix in my juice?" he asked hoarsely. Hermione looked horrified.

"You can't do that Harry! It's cheating!"

"Never mind that, I can't lose!" Ron said, cheering immediately and walking out. Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief. Harry simply grinned and followed Ron.

Hermione looked at me.

"Did you see what he just did?" she asked incredulously.

I shook my head silently and followed her to the Quidditch Pitch, watching as Ron proceeded to save every single shot that was fired towards him, much to the crowd's delight, except, I noticed, the Slytherins. No surprise there, then.

After the match, Hermione and I met up with Ron and Harry in the changing rooms.

"That was wicked!" Ron grinned, ecstatic at Gryffindor's victory.

"You only won because you cheated." Hermione said sternly.

"No we didn't." Harry grinned, pulling out a full vial of Felix Felicis. I never understood why humans wanted to make themselves lucky.

"I. . .I did it by myself?" Ron gaped.

Suddenly, he rounded on Hermione.

"That's cheating, is it? I can play perfectly well by myself!"

Hermione ran off in tears and I stared at him.

"Make your mind up, Ron. Just this morning you were convinced you were rubbish, and now you can play perfectly well by yourself? Don't take it out on her, just because she disagreed with something she thought Harry did. She was right anyway, if Harry had put Felix Felicis in your drink and giving you luck, the game would have been forfeit."

I walked out, leaving a stunned Harry and Ron in my wake. I had no idea why I'd defended Hermione like that, I didn't normally get involved with mortals as a rule, as I sometimes found myself getting emotionally attached, then missing them when they inevitably died. I couldn't afford to let myself form any emotional attachments. . .not this time. Not when Harry Potter had such a huge destiny ahead of him.


	8. Chapter 8

"He just annoys me so much!" Hermione scowled as she sat with me by the lake. A few days had passed since the Felix incident, and Hermione was still fuming with Ron and Harry, to the point that she was flat out refusing to touch their homework for them – I had no idea why she would in the first place, it was their homework, not hers. If she kept doing it for them, and they got good marks, it was because of her work, not theirs. I couldn't understand, but then again, maybe it was a mortal thing.

"If he annoys you so much, then why are you in love with him?"

"W-what? I am not in love with him!" she spluttered indignantly.

"Please don't insult my intelligence, Hermione. I've been around mortals long enough to know love when I see it. Why don't you just tell him you're in love with him?"

"Because I want him to come to me! He should realise! In our fourth year, he didn't even realise I was a girluntil it came to asking someone to the Yule Ball, and then it was like a light switched on somewhere inside his dumb brain and he realised!" she shook her head angrily at the memory. "He's so stupid sometimes!"

I merely sighed in response as she gazed out across the lake.

"To make matters worse, Harry keeps going on about Malfoy being a Death Eater!" she continued suddenly.

"What a ridiculous name." I said. "Death Eater? Why call them that? They don't go around eating dead bodies, believe me, I should know. I've had to go Harvesting the souls of all the people they've killed."

"Were you there when Harry's parents died, or did you arrive after?" Hermione asked, looking at me.

"I was there the moment they died, as I am the moment anyone dies." I replied.

She went quiet at that.

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Watching him kill them, I mean, does it ever get hard to watch people die?"

I thought about it for a moment before replying.

"No. It's actually nice in a way, I mean, when people die, they're free from the burden of having a body to lug around with them, free of pain and suffering, and ready for the next life." I said. Hermione nodded as she listened.

"You know, I never thought I'd be sat out here, having a conversation with the Angel of Death."

"And I never thought I'd be sat here, having a conversation like this with a mortal, believe me." I said, smiling at her.

After a while, we headed back to the Common Room, to where Harry and Ron were sat doing their Potions homework, Harry struggling as he hadn't really paid attention, and the book he was using wasn't very helpful.

"Maybe you should try paying attention instead of using the Half Blood Prince as a way out." Hermione suggested waspishly as she sat down, pulling her already finished homework from her bag, looking through it and nodding approvingly.

"Hermione, can't you -" Harry began.

"No, I can't." she said, giving both he and Ron an icy glare. "You should try not cheating by using a book that has Dark Magic in it, shouldn't you?"

Harry fell silent, and I simply stared at the book he was reading. It looked like a normal textbook, and even felt like one. I couldn't sense any Dark Magic, so I figured that the spells were written inside the book, somewhere in the margins of the potion recipes. I had no idea what Harry was doing with such a book, but I wasn't going to get involved, it wasn't for me to get involved in, this was between Harry and his friends.

The three friends were quiet for some time as Hermione took a book from her bag and sat reading, pointedly ignoring both Harry and Ron, who were struggling greatly with their homework. Finally Hermione took pity on them, sighed and grabbed their homework from them.

"Hermione, thank you," Ron said weakly. "If I ever insult you again-"

"I'll know you're back to normal." she said, handing them both their homework back. The next ten minutes were spent in silence broken only by the scratching of quills on parchment as the two boys finished their essays off at last and sat back with relieved sighs.

"I'm exhausted." Ron yawned. "I'm off to bed. Night."

"Goodnight. I said as he walked off, Harry soon following, with Hermione and I left alone again.

"Do you think you'll ever tell Harry and Ron who you are?"

"Maybe." I smiled, taking out an hourglass and watching the sand trickle gently towards the bottom.

"Who does that belong to?" Hermione asked, watching the sand with me.

"It belongs to Albus Dumbledore." I replied, tucking it away.

"There wasn't much sand left." she observed, looking at me.

"I can't say, you know that." I said, staring her down.

"Still. . .how do you cope sometimes?"

"I just get on with things. You learn very quickly to just deal with it."

She nodded and stifled a yawn.

"Maybe you should get some sleep." I said. She nodded and stood, raising a hand as she yawned again, waved goodnight and headed off to her bed.

I suddenly felt someone was about to die and pulled their hourglass from my robe. The sand was about to empty completely from the top half. The person due to die was a Muggle, and someone who Harry knew very well.

Dudley Durlsey was about to die far before his time.


	9. Chapter 9

Arriving outside Number Four Privet Drive, I noted that the curtains were closed in the living room, though the lights were on, and I deduced that they were all watching television as usual. Walking through the wall, I arrived in the living room, invisible to their eyes and stood watching them for a few moments. Vernon Dursley sat in an armchair, greedily stuffing his face with a huge bacon and sausage sandwich. His wife, Petunia Dursley, formerly Petunia Evans, sat on the sofa nibbling a sandwich with a steaming cup of tea at her side. My eyes moved to their son, Dudley, who was staring blankly at the television screen, half a sandwich in his left hand, the right hand clenched into a white fist as whatever was on his mind got to him.

His eyes roamed to where I was stood right in front of him, watching him quietly. His eyes snapped back into focus as he frowned at the space where I was, and then, quite suddenly, he gasped and shrank back. I frowned, knowing he'd seen me, something that was impossible. There was no way he could have seen me, I was invisible to mortal eyes, and Dudley Dursley was definitely mortal.

"What's wrong Duddykins?" Petunia asked, glancing over at him.

Vernon grunted around a huge mouthful of food and looked at his son, who was currently eyeing me with terror.

"Am I correct in assuming you can see and hear me, Dudley?" I asked.

Dudley nodded, trembling.

"Relax. I am not here to harm you. In fact, I am here to help you. You are in danger."

He started to relax as I began talking, then looked terrified again as I finished,

"Danger f-from who?" he managed to get out.

"Dudders?" Vernon said, finally having swallowed his food and staring at his son in confusion.

"I need you to come with me, Dudley. I don't know how, or why, but for some reason, you're going to die quite soon, and far before your time."

He stood and looked at me, shaking.

"Is it. . Is it those. . . Dementor things?" he whispered.

"Dudley, who are you talking to?" Petunia asked.

"Can you. . .appear, please?" Dudley asked me. I sighed and dropped the invisibility, causing Vernon and Petunia to yelp in surprise. In my haste, I had dropped my human guise as well, and all three shrank back in terror.

"Y-y-y -" Dudley gasped, backing away.

"Calm yourself, Dudley. I told you. I am here to stop you dying before your time." I said.

"What? Die? Dudley's not going to die!" Vernon yelled.

"Do you really think I would take time out of my busy schedule to come here and prevent his death if not?" I asked, glaring at him. He shrank back from me and whimpered. I would have rolled my eyes had I any eyeballs to roll.

"How?" Petunia breathed, staring at me.

"According to my information, which is never wrong before you start trying to contradict me, Dudley Dursley is to die by a Dementor's Kiss."

Dudley moaned and sat on the sofa with a thud.

"But -"

"Yes, Petunia, they are magical. Only someone with magic can defeat them. As Harry is currently at school. . ."

"But why would they go after Dudley again?"

"I would say that they liked how he tasted the first time." I mused, looking at Dudley, who gave a dry sob. Petunia went white then looked at me.

"How do you intend to stop him dying?"

"For now, I don't intend to do anything other than watch and wait." I said, transforming back into Dean Eath again and sitting down next to Dudley.

"Watch and wait?!" Vernon hissed, his large face red. "You're just going to watch and wait while my son dies?!"

"Vernon. I have been around much longer than your kind has. I have sat and watched and waited as countless mortals have lived, then died. One more will make no difference. I said I intend to make sure your son does not die before his time and I will not."

Silence followed my little speech, and, desperate to avoid looking at me, Dudley stared at the television screen, which suddenly exploded, causing all three of them to yell out in alarm. I simply stared at the smoking carcass, wondering what had caused it. I had sensed a flicker of magic, but not enough to do a full trace on it. I wondered who was doing this; there was no way it could be a Dementor, Dementors didn't have their own magic, and as such couldn't cause anything like this. True, everything went cold when they came near, but the set had got warmer, not colder, so warm it had exploded, small flames even now flickering inside the set.

As I watched, the room's temperature suddenly plummeted, and ice formed over the windows and floor. They were here. That worried me, that they knew where a Muggle lived, and that there were at least three of them. I didn't know the Patronus Charm; I had no need for it. Taking my scythe, I stood before the terrified Dursleys, all of whom were staring in shock at the ice forming on the windows before them.

Suddenly, the Dementors arrived. Dudley screamed and backed away and I was shocked to realise he could see them, too. However, only magical people could see Dementors, which meant that Dudley Dursley was somehow magical. I wasn't sure how, as I knew he had not once in his life had a magical bone in his body – so where was this magic coming from?

I swung my scythe at the nearest one, which screeched at me and backed away, as did the other two, and the four of us stood at a standstill; I, stood armed with my scythe, and the three Dementors looming silently and menacingly in front of me. Behind me, the Dursleys were almost out of their minds with terror. Petunia and Vernon were, of course, unable to see the Dementors, but they were certainly feeling their effects. I had to get rid of them – and fast. Suddenly, the flicker of magic came again, and this time, I sensed exactly where it was coming from. The flicker of magic was coming from inside Dudley. I turned my head to look at him, smacking the end of my scythe into a Dementor as it tried to make a move. As I stared at Dudley and examined the magic within him, I discovered an astonishing thing. Dudley Dursley had Harry's magic inside him.


	10. Chapter 10

"Dudley! Think happy thoughts!" I called back to him. He simply stared at the Dementors in horror as Vernon gave a half snort, half laugh, despite his terror.

"Why? What's he going to do – fly?"

"Dudley just do it! Think of the happiest thing in your life then say these words. Expecto Patronum!"

I could feel Dudley trying to think of a happy memory and then suddenly -

"E-Expecto Patronum." he managed to gasp out. A thin, silvery haze appeared in front of us and pushed the Dementors back a little.

"Stronger, Dudley! The memory needs to be the happiest one you have!"

He tried again, and this time the mist was stronger, and the Dementors stopped.

"Go away! They are not yours to claim!" I shouted, and at last, the Dementors turned and left. Vernon and Petunia stared at Dudley in horror.

"D-Dudders did magic. . ." Vernon whimpered.

"It's not his, don't worry. The magic within him belongs to Harry."

"What?! Well he can just come and take it back then!" Vernon said, red in the face again. I sighed. Clearly, it didn't take much to aggravate Vernon Dursley.

"No," I said. "I'll take him to Hogwarts."

"You'll do no such thing! That place is for freaks!"

"And right now he IS a freak!" I roared. Vernon immediately shrank back, terrified and gave a little whimper.

"Dudley will come to Hogwarts with me because I need to transfer Harry's magic back into him, and if it's not in a place with magic around, Harry's magic will escape by itself." I explained.

"Do it." Petunia spoke up suddenly.

"W-what?! Petunia, you can't -"

"Vernon, if that. . .thing stays inside him much longer, he might become one of Them."

Vernon recoiled in horror.

"Take him! Get that thing out of him!" he yelled at me. I calmly walked up to Dudley and took his arm, then whisked us both off to Hogwarts, appearing in front of Hermione, Harry and Ron, who were now awake.

"D-Dudley?!" said a shocked Harry. "What are you -"

"He was attacked by Dementors along with your Aunt and Uncle. Harry, Dudley can SEE Dementors."

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock.

"I. . .I did magic, I think." Dudley mumbled, sinking into a chair.

"Harry, when the two of you were attacked by Dementors last year, some of your magic was absorbed by the Dementor kissing Dudley. When you pushed it away with your spell, the magic was expelled and it flew into the nearest person."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Dudley."

"Yes. We need to take the magic from him and put it into you again."

"How? Is that even possible?" Hermione asked me.

"For me, yes. Both of you stand up and face one another."

They did so, Dudley looking apprehensive, Harry looking a little worried.

"Now, Dudley, I want you to use that spell again."

Dudley muttered the spell, and, instead of a silvery haze, a glowing cloud appeared in front of him. Everyone gasped.

"There's your magic, Harry. Call it back to you. Call it with your whole being. That magic was a part of you and it will want to go back."

Harry closed his eyes and the cloud immediately began drifting towards him, almost lazily at first, then it suddenly sped up and flew into him, merging with the magic already within him. He gasped and his eyes flew open as he felt the merging finish.

"Is it done?" Dudley asked in a small voice, refusing to look at Harry.

"Yes." I replied.

"Can I go home then, please?"

Harry looked up in shock at hearing his brutish cousin being so polite.

"Alright." I agreed with a nod.

"Before I go. . ." Dudley looked up and met Harry's eyes. "Thanks. For saving me, I mean. And no matter what Dad says, Harry – I don't think you're a waste of space. I never have."

Harry stared in shock as his cousin extended a large hand towards him. Harry shook it, looking a little shellshocked.

"Thanks, Dudley." he said, smiling.

At that, I took Dudley home to his concerned parents, who were incredibly relieved to hear that he was 'normal' again. Dudley gave me a warm, genuine smile and thanked me as I vanished back to Hogwarts, to where Ron was going on about Dudley's astonishing change of heart.

"All those years, Harry!" he kept saying. "All those years and now he finally goes decent on you! Bloody hell, mate!"

"Yeah, I know." Harry said, sat on the sofa with him, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It just goes to show, you never really know a person." Hermione said, staring into the fire.

"Anyway, what was that all about, Dean?" Ron suddenly demanded, turning to me. "How come you could Apparate? You're not supposed to be able to do that inside Hogwarts."

By way of reply, I dropped my disguise and Ron screamed and Harry gave a surprised yell. Once they had both calmed down and started staring at me, Ron recovered enough to ask a question.

"What the bloody hell?!"

"This is Death." Hermione said, indicating me.

"Death?!" Ron shrieked, staring at my skeletal appearance.

"Yes." I said, staring right back at him, then shifting back into Dean.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"I can't tell you right now, but I'm not here to hurt anyone."

They both nodded in understanding and I allowed myself a small sigh of relief. All I could hope now was that no one else found out. Six people was six people too many.

A few days later, Ron broke Hermione's heart.


	11. Chapter 11

I stood in the pouring rain, watching the Quidditch match take place before me, Hermione stood next to me, biting her nails in anxiety over the outcome of the match.

"Hermione, don't trouble yourself so. It's only a sport." I said, mildly irritated by her constant gasps of shock or fear every time Harry came close to being hit by a Bludger.

"But what if they get hurt?" she wailed, biting her nails again.

"They knew the risks when they signed up, I'm sure." I said, my eyes easily following the Snitch as it flew all over the pitch.

"Come on, Ron!" she screamed as the Quaffle raced towards him, thrown by one of the Slytherin players. Ron saved it, and she screamed in delight and I winced.

"Sorry," she apologised, noticing my wince.

"You don't need to apologise." I assured her, turning my attention back to the game, to where Harry was chasing the Snitch, his hand stretched out to catch the elusive little winged ball. Without warning, a Bludger flew by him, and he dodged it and grabbed the Snitch, to the crowd's pleasure.

"YES!" Hermione screamed jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes, he caught it! We won! Gryffindor won!" she flung her arms around me squealing, then pulled away, having remembered just who I was. I chuckled and watched as both teams flew back to their changing rooms.

"Come on, let's go back to the Gryffindor Common Room." Hermione said to me, running off. I smiled and stepped forward, stepping through space itself and arriving in the Common Room before anyone else and taking a seat by the fire.

Moments later, Hermione and the other Gryffindors came in, Hermione looking confused at my appearance. Her attention was soon distracted from me, however, as Ron and the other Gryffindor players came in, following by the roaring crowd of Gryffindor fans, which meant the Common Room became very full very quickly. I stepped through a wall to stand by Hermione as she smiled, watching Ron be congratulated on his excellent saves by everyone else. Harry stood by Hermione, grinning.

Suddenly, Lavender Brown threw herself on Ron, kissing him passionately, and he returned the kiss. Hermione's smile slid from her face and she stared at the scene, and I realised her heart must be breaking at seeing this. She turned and fled from the room in tears. Harry and I followed her.

She was sat on the bottom step of a flight of stairs, sobbing. Harry sat beside her, pulling her into a one armed hug. I stood by, watching silently.

"Harry? What does it feel like, when you see Dean kissing Ginny?"

Harry stared at her in surprise and she gave a small laugh.

"Harry, please. I'm your best friend. I noticed ages ago."

Harry opened his mouth to reply when we all heard giggling coming from nearby, and Ron and Lavender ran in, giggling and kissing.

I felt Hermione freeze nearby, staring at them. Suddenly, the two seemed to realise that they were being watched. They turned and Lavender giggled, kissed Ron and ran on ahead, leaving Ron to stare at us, a stupid look on his face. The boy was obviously still feeling his hormones fly everywhere.

Hermione stood and Ron looked at the small birds that she had conjured while we had been here.

"Nice birds." he said, a little weakly.

Hermione pointed her wand towards him.

"Oppugno."

The birds darted towards him and he yelped and ran for it, leaving the birds to slam into the door and disappear in a puff of feathers. Hermione sank down onto the steps, sobbing again, and Harry pulled her back into the hug.

"Something like that." Harry said, replying to her earlier question. She simply sobbed in reply and I stood watching the two of them, understanding just how deep their friendship ran. They were like brother and sister to one another.

If only Ron would realise that and actually go after Hermione, then everyone would be a lot happier. Harry hated being caught in the middle of the two of them, I could see it in his eyes as he caught my gaze. He smiled at me and patted Hermione's back. At a loss, I suddenly remembered something Luna did and sat down by Hermione and took her hand in mine. It was warm, and felt actually quite nice. I should have done this sooner. I wondered briefly if Luna's hand felt anything like this. I was going to have to try later.

After a while, Hermione stopped sobbing and ran back to the Common Room, where she took herself to her bed and refused to come back down, leaving Harry and I to sit by the fire, while Ron and Lavender locked lips near the chess set.

I ignored them, and instead got Harry into a conversation about Quidditch, which he enthusiastically dived into, and I sensed he was eager to take his mind off Ron and Lavender. He thought it was weird, because he knew Ron was in love with Hermione and vice versa, and wished Ron would just get on with things and admit it already.

After an hour or two, Harry began yawning, and excused himself to go to bed. Soon after, Lavender and Ron finally unglued themselves from one another.

"Goodnight, Won-Won." she simpered, fluttering her eyelashes and him and kissing his cheek.

"Night, Lavender." he grinned, kissing her back. She drifted off towards the girl's dormitory, stopping at the stairs to blow him a huge kiss. If I had been any normal human youth, I expect I would have felt slightly nauseous. As it was, I simply watched as Ron gave a goofy grin, and Lavender headed off to bed, leaving Ron and I the only ones in the Common Room.

He plonked himself down into a chair nearby and grinned at me.

"Awesome, isn't it?"

"What?" I asked.

"Me and Lavender!" he replied, shocked that I didn't know. "We're gonna be together forever, aren't we?"

"No." I replied flatly. He knew it deep down, so there was no way I was going to let him put such a fat illusion over himself.

He looked hurt.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" he suddenly said loudly, and stormed off upstairs.

"Mortals." I sighed.

The next day, Ron and Lavender were still at the whole kissing thing. Hermione was flat out ignoring them both, and was mad at Harry for his frequent use of the Half Blood Prince's Potions book in Potions, despite Harry's protests that he needed to be good at Potions to get Slughorn's memory from him.

Later the next night, Harry and I were in the library, walking with Hermione, who was going on about what had happened.

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes." she said. "Was I under the impression that he and I were attending Slughorn's Christmas Party together? Yes. Of course, now, given the circumstances, I've had to make other arrangements."

"Have you?" Harry asked, sounding slightly surprised despite himself.

"Yes." she said, looking at him. "Why?"

"Oh. . Well, I was just thinking, since neither of us can ask who we'd like, that maybe we could go together. You know. . . as friends."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione exclaimed, stopping suddenly, causing me to almost walk into her. I stopped myself just in time and took the book from the top of her stack and slid it back to the shelf where it belonged.

"Thanks." she said.

"So who are you taking?" Harry asked.

"Oh. . .It's a surprise." she said evasively. It certainly was. Harry was going to be very surprised when he found out she was taking Cormac McLaggen. I'd spoken to the boy many a time. He was rude, uncouth and generally. . .full of himself, I believe the term was. I didn't care for him much, and, it appeared, nor did anyone else. I knew Hermione had asked him to make Ron jealous, and I had warned her it would not work, but she refused to listen.

"Besides." Hermione said suddenly, derailing my train of thought. "It's you we have to worry about, Harry. You can't pick just anyone. See that girl over there? That's Romilda Vane. Rumour has it that she's trying to slip you a love potion."

"Really. . .?" Harry said, sounding intrigued. He looked over, as did I, to where a pretty girl was smiling at Harry. She suddenly seemed to realise we were staring at her, because she gave a flirtatious smile and looked back at her parchment.

Hermione suddenly snapped her fingers, causing Harry to look up at her as I watched.

"Hey!" she said, clearly annoyed by his staring. "She's only interested in you because she thinks you're the Chosen One."

"But I am the Chosen One." Harry said stupidly.

Hermione smacked him over the head with a rolled up Daily Prophet.

"Right. Sorry." he said. "I'll ask someone else then, someone cool."

I knew exactly who he was going to ask, and I smiled. It would be nice for Luna to be invited to a party.


	12. Chapter 12

"It was brilliant!" Luna said, her eyes shining as she hugged herself happily. She had just finished telling me how her time at Slughorn's party had gone. I hadn't had the chance to tell her yet that I already knew all this, as I'd been there myself, invisible to all.

"But you already know, don't you? After all, you were there." she smiled.

I shook my head in silent amazement that she already knew. The child really was one of a kind.

"I have to go now I have to finish my homework. Besides, Harry's here and he has something to tell you."

Saying so, she kissed my cheek and skipped off humming to herself. My hand went to the spot where she had kissed me. It felt nice, being kissed. A smile grew on my face, and I turned to see Harry gaping, unable to believe his eyes.

"Hello, Harry."

"Hi. Did Luna just -"

"Yes, she did." I grinned at him. "So what do you have to tell me, then?"

"I'll never get used to you being Death, you know. I know you - you know, showed me and all, but is there another way you can prove it? Tell me something about my future?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"No." Not yet, I added silently to myself. When Albus Dumbledore died, Harry would ask me what the future held, and then and only then, would I offer a hint.

He sighed. "Alright then. Ron's Mum's invited you over for Christmas. We leave today if you're coming."

"I'd love to." I replied. I wasn't telling, but they would need me tonight.

I followed Harry, and in a few hours time, was on the Hogwarts Express, sat in a compartment with Harry and a surly Ron.

All was quiet in the compartment, until Lavender came up to the door and breathed on it, then wrote something on the fogged up glass with her finger.

"Ron plus Lav. . .heart. . .?" I read as she drew. Oh. Now I understood. She was saying she loved him. Personally, I happened to know this was simply some silly crush she had. I felt pity for her, in a way. She was going to die in two years time, and for her, every day was getting closer to her last.

She mimed 'I miss you' to Ron before walking off. Ron sunk lower in his seat.

"Oh, bloody hell . . ." he muttered. "All she ever wants to do is snog! My lips are chapped, look!"

"I'll take your word for it." Harry said, and I nodded silently in agreement.

Just then, Hermione strode by, stooped, looked at the drawing in disgust and stalked off.

"So, what happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow?" Harry asked Ron, who glowered at the door, where the heart was slowly disappearing, breaking apart as the warmth got to it, as though a precursor to Ron and Lavender's break up, which would happen in just a few, short weeks.

"You die." he said simply. The compartment returned to the silence that had filled it for most of the journey, and I allowed my gaze to roam outside to the countryside as it rushed by.

Some time later, we were all sat in The Burrow, a curious mess of a home that the Weasleys lived in. It was quaint, and I found myself liking it very much. Molly handed me a scone and I munched it. It was quite nice. I'd found myself eating a lot more lately, something I never usually did, and as a result, my body was actually beginning to behave like it wasn't a simple disguise. Was some other, more ancient magic at work here? Was I becoming human just because I looked like one?

I heard Molly and Arthur go to the door to say goodbye to Remus and Nymphadora, who were heading home.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" I heard Molly ask them as I walked up to the door.

"No, we should go." Nymphadora said. "The first night of the cycle is always the worst." she added under her breath. I looked at Remus and walked out to stand by him, noticing the way the hairs on his knuckles rose.

He could sense them, too.

Just then, fire erupted around the house a little way away from us, and Bellatrix appeared.

"Right on time." I hadn't realised I spoke aloud until I saw Remus throw me a sharp, hard look.

Whoops.

Just then, Harry burst out of the house, wand drawn, and Bellatrix darted off, Harry following. I took myself out of the line of mortal sight and flew after him. Literally. Gliding just above the reeds of the marsh, I followed, watching as Harry ran, Ginny not far behind.

Harry stopped not long after Bellatrix. Harry raised his wand and was about to cast a spell, when -

"No, Harry! It's a trap!" Ginny screamed.

Harry stopped and jumped back just as Fenrir Greyback jumped down, his eyes gleaming madly.

"Don't you smell clean." he said, grinning, revealing his sharp teeth. I dropped, becoming visible to human sight once more as Bellatrix turned on Ginny. I stepped in front of Ginny and allowed a glimpse of my true self to shine through my eyes. The effect on Bellatrix was electric and not what I had in mind.

"Avada Kedavra!" she screeched, her eyes flaring wide in fear. The spell flew towards me and slammed into me, knocking me over. Harry yelled something. He'd probably forgotten that I was Death. Ginny screamed in shock and horror. I stood up and Bellatrix gaped at me, then ran for it, along with Greyback.

"H-how did you survive that?" Ginny asked me, trembling, the adrenaline racing through her. She was scared, scared for Harry. Scared of me.

Harry eyed me, and then comprehension dawned, and I nodded.

"Nothing can kill me, Harry"

"Why?" Ginny demanded, her eyes darting between Harry and I.

"I'd like to know that myself." Remus said, stepping out with Ron, Fred and George. "I saw you get hit by that curse. No one can survive that."

A small smile stole across my lips.

"He's not -" Harry began, but was silenced as I lifted a hand.

"No, Harry. Leave it. Far be it from me to keep a secret." I eyed Remus levelly. "You wish to know how I survived, Remus John Lupin?"

His eyes widened in shock at the use of his full name.

I shook my head, shaking off the glamour, allowing my true form to be revealed. Ron yelled out and stepped back, as did Harry. Ginny screamed and clung tight onto Harry, and Fred and George gaped at me. Remus, however, pointed his wand at me.

"I am Death." I said.


	13. Chapter 13

"What are you?" Remus asked in a quiet growl, his eyes locked on mine.

"I just told you." I said, annoyed that he wasn't cowering from me, as refreshing as it was not to have someone go out of their mind when they saw me. I was also annoyed that I was having to repeat myself. I never repeated myself. "I'm Death."

"So you said." he said, through gritted teeth. "But why don't I believe you?"

"What, the skeletal appearance, wings and huge scythe aren't enough for you?" I said sarcastically. I was starting to sound human, I never used sarcasm.

He ignored me and kept his wand trained on me.

Harry finally broke the stand off by standing in between the two of us.

"Stop it, you two. Death, go back to being Dean, you're scaring everyone. Remus. . calm down, it's okay. He won't hurt us. He promised."

"Harry, you KNOW this. . .thing?" Remus demanded sharply.

"Yes, he does. I've been at Hogwarts all term. Dumbledore knows as well." I said.

Remus calmed at that, and I knew I had said the correct thing. Remus trusted Dumbledore with his life. If I was okay with Dumbledore, then I was okay with him, as much as I freaked him out.

I shifted back into Dean Eath once more, the glamour sliding over me like a second skin. Once the others had got over their shock, I asked Harry and Ron why they had been so shocked to see me transform.

"You're bloody scary, mate, haven't you noticed?" asked Ron as we squelched our way through the wet marshland back towards the house.

"Not just that, but it's one thing to see you transform when we're tired, and another thing entirely to see you transform when we're wide awake." Harry explained. "Neither of us really believed it until just now, I guess."

"That's understandable." I replied. "Your kind has always been a 'see it to believe it' bunch. Quite refreshing really, especially since I can walk amoing you and you never even look twice at me."

"How?" Remus asked, glancing at me as he strode on.

"I am the face that you can't look twice at, a face so plain that there's nothing to remember on it. I'm the man, woman or child lurking in the crowd, and just when you think you've seen me, I'm gone again, like I was never there. I'm the whisper of the wind in your ear, the litter blowing along the streets beneath your feet, the cold chill down your spine. I am darkness and I am light. I am everything and I am nothing."

Silence fell after my little speech and I felt a little pride, despite myself, then felt horrified that I had felt pride, then even more horror at feeling horror over something. Just what the heck was going on with me? And why was I thinking like a human?

Not long after we arrived at the house, everyone else headed to bed after some talk about the Death Eaters. I, however, stayed awake, nursing a cup of tea as I sat by the fire, my thoughts mulling around in my mind. I had no idea what was going on. It was very perplexing. The more I stayed with these people, the more human I seemed to be. I didn't know if it was my human guise somehow taking on a life of it's own due to the immense magic I wielded, or if I was simply becoming. . .attached to these humans.

Angrily, I threw the full cup into the fireplace, where it shattered, the brown liquid dowsing the flames.

Almost immediately, I felt bad. Molly had made that for me after I had told her I never slept. She had called me a 'poor dear' and proceeded to make me a cup of tea, saying it would help me sleep despite my protests. I sighed and held my hand out, and time flew backwards, and the cup and it's contents rose out of the fireplace, and the flames roared back into life and I grabbed the cup as it sailed back into ym waiting hand, the tea pouring back into it. I drained the cup with a sigh. I had to stop letting the temper get the better of me. It was unbecoming.

Some time later, I was sat in the Hospital Wing with Hermione and Harry. Ron had been poisoned by some mead that Professor Slughorn had kept in his office, intending to give as a gift to Professor Dumbledore, not knowing, of course, that it was poisoned. Just then, Lavender ran in and stopped dead upon seeing Hermione.

"What's she doing here?" she spat.

"I could ask you the same question." Hermione replied scathingly.

"For your information, I happen to be his girlfriend!" Lavender retorted.

"And I happen to be his. . .friend." Hermione finished lamely, and Harry and I exhanged a glance, both of us knowing that with all her heart, Hermione wished to be the one to call herself Ron's girlfriend.

"Don't make me laugh!" Lavender scoffed. "You've barely spoken in weeks! I suppose you want to make up with him now that he's all interesting." The last word was almost a sneer.

"He's been poisoned, you daft bimbo!" Hermione's eyes flashed in fury. "And for your information, I've always found him interesting."

She suddely frowned a little and blushed slightly as she realised her words. Ron moaned in his sleep and Lavender immediately looked to him.

"Ha! See! He senses my presence! I'm here, Won-Won, I'm h-"

Her words were cut off by Ron, as he awoke in a slight haze.

"Er. . .my. . .knee!" he moaned, reaching out towards Hermione. "Er! My! Knee!"

Blushing madly, Hermione took his hand, and he instantly lapsed into unconsciousness once more.

Trembling with rage, Lavender gave a small scream and stormed out.

"Ah, to be young and feel love's keen sting. Come, everyone. I think Mr Weasley is well tended." Dumbledore said, leading the others out. As Ginny passed Harry and I, she leaned in closed and whispered into our ears, gesturing to Hermione and Ron.

"'Bout time, don't you think?" she grinned. Harry and I nodded and looked back to where Hermione still sat with her hand enfolded lovingly in Ron's, the hope shining in her eyes for all to see.

"Oh, shut up." she said. Harry simply grinned and left. I followed not long after.

The next day, Ron was back to his usual self, and, right on time, Lavender had broken up with him, to his immense relief. It was lunch time, and the four of us were sat in the Great Hall, discussing the previous night's events, and Ron's recent freedom. Harry was spooning soup into his mouth as he pored over the Half Blood Prince's book once more, his eyes lingering over Sectumsempra. Ron, however, was 'stealthily' eyeing Lavender, meaning that he kept trying to sneak glances at her, all the while she was glaring daggers at him. He was so focused on staring at her and lost in his own thoughts that he didn't realise he was making it snow over us.

"Ron, stop, you're making it snow." Hermione said, placing her hand over Ron's.

"Huh?" he said, looking at the snowflakes around us. "Oh, sorry." He looked at Hermione's hand and a frown creased his face, as though trying to remember something.

"Tell me again how I broke up with Lavender?" he said.

Harry, Hermione and I eyed one another, and Hermione carefully pulled her hand from his.

"Um, well, she came to visit you in the hospital, you see, and you talked - I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation -"

"Don't get me wrong," Ron cut in. "I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It's just she seems a bit. . . put out."

"Really?" I said drily as we all looked at her and saw her giving us a venemous glare. "I wonder what gives that away?"

"She does, doesn't she?" Hermione said, turning back round, as did we. "So, Ron, you say you can't remember a thing from last night? Nothing at all?"

"Well. . ." he said uncertainly, wracking his brains. "There is. . .something."

Harry and I watched as Hermione seemed to lean forward slightly as she waited for his next words, and we eyed one another. It was truly unfortunate that Ron did not remember himself calling Hermione's name, and her taking his hand and calming him down.

"But, no." he said. "It can't be. Besides, I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

"Right." Hermione said in a small voice, sitting back with a frown, to which Ron was completely oblivious. "Boggled. . ."

Harry and I met one another's eyes again, and he rolled his, and I shook my head in silent exasparation. Ron seriously needed to see Hermione for the woman she was.

Just then, Katie Bell came in, surrounded by her friends. Harry got up and walked over to talk with her. Soon after, Draco left the Hall, and Harry followed suit. Hermione, Ron and I left to the Common Room to wait for him. Around ten minutes later, Harry came in, looking pale and frightened.

"So you used Sectumsempra." I said.

He nodded and explained what had taken place between Draco and himself in the boy's bathroom.

"You need to get rid of that book." Ginny said, having walked in halfway through his explanation. "I know just the place, follow me."

Some days later, Harry had told Hermione, Ron and I everything that he and Dumbledore had been up to, and what they had found out, most importantly that Voldemort's soul was split into seven different pieces.

"I know that." I said, to their surprise.

"Why didn't you say?" Harry demanded.

"I'm not allowed to interfere with history." I replied simply. He shook his head and headed off with Dumbledore to the cave they were going to. I sat to wait with Ron and Hermione, but some time later, I stood and vanished, taking myself to the top of the Astronomy Tower to await their return, pulling my scythe out as I arrived. In a few short minutes, Albus Dumbledore's life would end.

Right on schedule, the two arrived atop the tower, Albus looking older and more frail than I had ever seen him. It was almost worrying if I hadn't known that he was about to die. Telling Harry to fetch Severus, Albus nudged him to the stairs and he ran towards them to do as he was asked. Suddenly, footsteps sounded.

"Get below." Albus said. "Do not move, speak, or take any action unless I tell you to."

Harry did as he was told, and soon after, a wild-eyed Draco came bursting through the upper door, his crazed gaze finding Albus.

"Good evening, Draco. What brings you out here on such a fine Spring evening? Or. . is it Summer?" Albus said, smiling pleasantly.

Draco ignored him, eyes darting madly everywhere, several times alighting upon the place where I stood, my scythe at the ready as the true countdown to Albus Dumbledore's death began.

Four minutes.

"Who else is here? I heard you talking." Draco said, his eyes still darting here and there.

"I often talk aloud to myself." Albus said pleasantly. "That which sounds sane at a whisper can sound utterly mad when said aloud for all the world to hear. Haven't been whispering to yourself lately, have you Draco?"

Draco eyes his Headmaster uneasily, wondering whether the old man was going crazy.

"You are not an assassin, Draco." Albus said softly.

"How do you know what I am?" Draco's reply came at once. "I've done things that would shock you!"

"Like cursing Katie Bell, and hoping that she would, in turn, bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me for saying so, Draco, but these attempts are so feeble, I cannot help but question if your heart has really been in them. When Voldemort gave you this task, when he asked you to kill me, was it in a whisper?"

"He trusts me!" Draco cried. "I was chosen!" He pulled his left sleeve up, revealing the Dark Mark that lie there.

Albus didn't spare it a single glance.

Three Minutes

"Then I shall make it easy for you." Albus said, slowly raising his wand. There was no intent behind his action, and Draco took the opportunity and disarmed him, Dumbledore's wand flying over the battlements to the soft ground below.

"Well done, Draco. But I warn you. Killing is not nearly as easy."

Draco eyes his Headmaster, then the dark sky above us which was full of twisting, black clouds, then finally the stairwell behind him. Albus noticed.

"You're not alone. Are you. There are others. How?" he asked.

A small sneer played over Draco's lips.

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement." he said.

"That Cabinet has been broken for years."

"I've been mending it." There was no mistaking the twinge of pride in Draco's voice.

"Ingenious. Let me guess. It has a sister. A twin."

Two Minutes

"Borgin and Burkes. They form -"

"A passage, yes. Very good." Albus' eyes shifted as he spoke. "I once knew a boy, many years ago now, who made all the wrong choices. Draco, let me help you."

"I don't want your help!" Draco burst out. "I've got to do it, don't you see? I have to!" His voice sunk to a whisper suddenly. "I have to kill you. . .or he'll kill me."

"Say that again, Draco." Albus said. "But out loud this time."

One Minute

Draco looked deep into Albus' eyes, his hand trembling. I knew then that Albus had won him over. Draco was too afraid to do the task set to him. Slowly, Draco began to lower his wand. Suddenly, the door behind him practically exploded open as Bellatrix, Fenrir and a few others. My attention, however, was focused on Bellatrix, who wore a gleeful smile upon her face as she stared at Albus, who stood there, frail, alone and defenceless.

"Well now, look what we have here!" she screeched. "Dumbledore. Wandless and alone. Cornered in his own castle. Well done, Draco!"

I was the only one to notice Draco's eyes widen very slightly in horror as he realised the immensity of what he had done. He was scared, and wanted to stop this, but feared too much for his own life. I wasn't allowed to interfere, but I knew that he would live a long life, to die at home surrounded by family and friends, aged eighty-six.

"Good evening, Bellatrix." Albus said, as pleasantly as ever. I think introductions are in order."

"Love to, Albus." she said, also as pleasantly. "I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule." "Do it." she added to Draco, who raised his wand, his hand trembling slightly.

Five seconds

"He doesn't have the stomach!" Fenrir growled, his voice almost a snarl, a sure sign of the animal that lurked within. "Let me finish it, in my own way!"

Four seconds

"No!" Bellatrix called. "The Dark Lord was clear. The boy's to do it! Go on, Draco! Now!"

Draco's arm trembled even more.

Three seconds

"No." Severus spoke as he appeared through the door, and everyone looked towards him.

"Well, look who's here." Bellatrix said, grinning. "Hogwart's own Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Come to see the slaughter?"

Two seconds

"Severus. . .please." Albus' voice was pleading. Pleading with Snape to kill him, to spare Draco's soul the agony of being torn in two.

One second

"I gave my word. . .I made a vow." Severus said, his arm rising.

"Avada Kedavra!"

As the Killing Curse neared Albus' body, I swung my scythe, freeing his soul from it's earthly vessel as the spell finally connected. The light of life dimmed in his eyes and sputtered out, the sad look frozen in his eyes forever more as his body flew backwards and over the battlements, plummeting to the ground below.

As Bellatrix raised her wand to the sky, causing an earsplitting crash to sound, I heard Harry's scream of rage masked beneath it. The clouds above merged to form an enormous version of the Dark Mark. Severus places his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"You can no longer stay here." he said simply, dragging Draco and running. The other Death Eaters follow, and, moments later, Harry followed. I glided along behind them. No one was due to die, but at times like this, things could change.

As I flew behind them all, I put on a burst of speed, easily catching them up and glanced at Draco. He was terrified, more so when Hagrid hut was set ablaze by Bellatrix. For all his complaints about Hagrid, Draco was worried, concerned for Hagrid, fearing for his life. I watched as Harry caught up and threw a spell at Severus, who dodged it easily. Severus pushed Draco on, and he ran. Severus then turned and deflected Harry's spell and advanced on him as Harry called him a coward. Severus' features were etched with rage.

"Don't ever associate that word and my name ever again." he hissed.

A jet of red light slammed into Harry, cast by Bellatrix. Severus yelled at her that Harry belonged to the Dark Lord, and she trotted off. Harry took this chance to throw a Sectumsempra spell at Severus, who immediately deflected it.

"You dare use my own spell against me, Potter?" he barked. Harry went still, his eyes widened with shock, staring at Severus, who nodded.

"You might have your mother's eyes, but you are as dim as your father. Yes, it's me. I am the Half-Blood Prince!"

I walked back to where Dumbledore's body lay on the ground, eyes staring up at the sky. I turned to his spirit, which was stood next to me, looking down at it's previous vessel.

"It really didn't hurt at all." he said in wonderment.

"Of course not." I said.

"So what happens to me now?" he asked.

"That all depends, Albus. What do you want to do?"

"You already know Harry will die against Voldemort. He has to."

I nodded.

"I'll go on ahead and wait for him, to explain everything to him at that time."

"Very well." I agreed. "On you go."

Albus Dumbledore turned and vanished from his old life forever.

Meanwhile, everyone was gathered round, crying. Minerva raised her wand, the tip glowing. The whole school followed suit and a massive blast of light tore the Dark Mark ahead into pieces, restoring the night once more.

"Dean!" Harry screamed, looking around. "Where are you?"

I stayed invisisble. He was only going to ask me to do one thing I could not - reverse Albus' death. The only time I could reverse a death was under very special circumstances, none of which had been fulfilled.

After calling for me a few more times, he fell silent, and knelt, sobbing by his former Headmaster's lifeless form.

I turned and walked away into the shadows, giving them time to grieve. I would wait until the next day, and then, and only then, would I give Harry Potter a single hint as to what lay ahead in his future.

The next day, Harry and Hermione were stood atop the Astronomy Tower, whilst Ron and Ginny were stood some way away. I stood by them, invisible.

"Do you think he would have done it? Draco, I mean." Hermione asked Harry as they stood together, gazing out at the sorry ashen ruins of Hagrid's Hut.

Harry shook his head. "No. He was lowering his wand. In the end it was Snape. It was always Snape. And I did nothing. . ."

Hermione looked at him, then took the locket from where Harry had placed it on the ramparts before them.

"Strange to think this is a piece of Voldemort's soul." she said.

"Yeah, strange. Only it's not. It's a fake."

Hermione looked to him, shocked. He nodded.

"Go on, open it."

She did so and pulled out a small, folded square of parchment, and read the writing written there.

"To the Dark Lord." she read aloud. "I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R. A. B."

She looked up, confused. "R. A. B?"

I knew. Regulus Arcturus Black. The younger brother of Sirius Black. He had died finding the real Horcrux, and had given it to his faithful house elf Kreacher. Of course, I had no intention of letting them know that, they had to discover it for themselves.

"No idea." Harry said. "But whoever they are, they have the real Horcrux. Which means this was a waste. All of it."

Hermiones studied his troubled gaze, then glaced towards Ginny and Ron.

"Ron's okay with it, you know. You and Ginny. But if I were you, when he's around, I'd keep the snogging to a minimum." she gave faint smile, trying to draw a smile out of him, but he simply nodded and looked away.

"I'm not coming back, Hermione." he said. She nodded.

"We reckoned - Ron and me." she said.

"I have to finish what Dumbledore started. I'm not sure where it will lead me, but I'l let you and Ron know where I am - when I can."

"I've always admired your courage, Harry, but sometimes - you're really thick."

Harry looked at her in surprise.

"You don't really think you're going to find all those Horcruxes on your own, do you, Harry?" she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspirital whisper. "You need us."

I shifted into Dean Eath once more, staying invisible. Soon I would reveal myself, but not yet.

Hermione cocked her head to one side, smiling, trying to coax one from Harry. Eventually, he smiled back.

"Yeah. I do." he admitted. "But when I'm around, try to keep the snogging to a minimum."

Hermione looked stunned, before going red.

"Like that's going to happen." she glanced at Ron. "Besides, he's barking."

"Funny, he says the same about you." Harry smiled.

"Yes, but I'm exceptionally perceptive." Hermione retorted. I smiled. She was, too.

"You're brilliant." Harry said. "You both are."

Hermione smiled and allowed her eyes to roam around the grounds a final time, taking everything in, committing it to memory.

"Do you think we'll ever come back?" she asked.

"I don't know." came the reply.

"Time will tell." I said, stepping out of my cloak of invisibility, startling them both. Harry whirled on me.

"Dean! Where were you? I shouted you! Shouted and shouted. . ." his voice trailed away, a sob caught in his throat.

"I can't bring him back, Harry." I said. He looked at me. "Yes, I knew you wanted me to bring him back, but I couldn't. I can only bring someone back under very special circumstances, none of which have been fulfilled."

"What are the conditions? I'll fulfill them, then you can bring him back!" he cried. I shook my head again.

"No, Harry. But Hermione is right. You will not be alone. I will accompany the three of you. I'm sticking with you until the time comes for Tom Riddle to finally die. I have waited him long enough."

"That's why you came here, isn't it?" Hermione asked. You came here to collect Dumbledore, and to stay with us while we went looking for the Horcruxes."

"Yes, and no." I said. "I will tell you everything. I promise."

"When?" Ron demanded, walking over with Ginny.

"When the time is right. There will come a time when you will learn a very important fact, and then I will reveal everything - my reasons for coming here and my reasons for sticking with you all."

"However," I added, as Harry opened his mouth to ask another question. "I will give you one hint, and one hint only to what lies ahead. After this hint is given, I must ask you not to ask me anything more. I will reveal what I can to you when I know the time is right. I will also help you out - as Dean Eath, not as Death, unless the situation calls for it. Do you accept these conditions?"

Harry closed his mouth, and the four looked at one another, then nodded.

"Good. In that case, my hint is this; Harry, you will be seeing your mother, father and Sirius again next year."

Immediately, he opened his mouth to ask a question, but rememebred his promise and closed it again, and the five of us turned as Fawkes flew by, singing a mournful song as he grieved his fallen owner. I smiled and turned away, knowing that this next adventure that Harry had was going to require my help and expansive knowledge.

Tom Riddle would be mine at last.


	14. Chapter 14

I stood with Harry, watching him pace about his room, occasionally running his hands through his hair in frustration as he waited for the Dursleys to leave and the Order to arrive.

I said nothing for a while, but as his frustration peaked and he kicked his trunk angrily, I spoke up.

"Calm yourself, Harry." I said.

"That's easy for you to say!" he burst out. "Being stuck here, knowing I can finally leave here for the final time and be free, and I have to wait for ages! You can come and go as you please!"

"True," I said calmly, surveying him. "But I choose to be here, Harry. I choose to be here because, through you, I will eventually bump into Tom Riddle."

"Yeah, well why don't you just go find him then?" he shouted. I simply looked at him silently.

"Sorry," he eventually sighed. "I just want to leave already, and I can't."

"I know."

He sighed again and finished packing his things, as I walked over to stroke Hedwig, who gave a low hoot and nipped my fingers affectionately.

Some time later, the Dursleys left, and Harry and I stood watching them leave, Harry still reeling over Dudley admitting he didn't think Harry was a waste of space and shaking his hand before leaving.

"They'll be here soon." The excitement in Harry's voice was unmistakable. I made myself invisible once more as the Order finally arrived, Harry hugging Ron and Hermione in joy as he led the other members inside. Alastor Moody was there, too, his magical eye swivelling twice to look at me, but never once seeing me. His eye would only see me if I wanted it to, and right now, I had no wish to be seen.

I stood and watched as Alastor explained the plan; that six of the others would become Harry, so as to confuse the Death-Eaters, who no doubt would know of the plan to take Harry from the Dursley's house, now that his Trace was nearing it's expiration.

"No," Harry said immediately upon hearing the plan. "No way."

"Told you he'd take it well." Hermione quipped.

"You can't think I'd let them risk their lives for me like this. No!"

"Like we don't anyway." Ron muttered.

Without warning, Hermione stepped forward and yanked a hair from Harry's head.

"Ow! Thanks, Hermione." Harry said, looking slightly angry. I watched with mild interest as Fred, George, Fleur, Hermione, Ron and Mundungus took a gulp of Polyjuice Potion each, grimacing at the foul taste before transforming into Harry.

"Wow! We're identical!" said the twins, looking at one another.

"Not yet, you're not." Alastor growled, tossing a sack into the middle of the room.

They all stripped off there and then in the living room, changing into the exact same clothes the real Harry was wearing. However, as I was Death, Polyjuice Potion hid nothing from me - I could still see each one of them underneath, the image of Harry superimposed over their real selves. I could tell the real Harry even without that; he was the only one glaring at Alastor.

"I can't believe this. You could all get yourselves killed!" he protested.

"It's to keep you safe." Alastor told him as everyone trooped outside to their transport. Bill and Fleur hopped on a nearby Thestral, who licked my hand as I walked over. I smiled and patted it's snout.

I hadn't flown in over a year, so this was going to be cumbersome for me, especially as I was going to have to revert to my true self without becoming visible. Quickly doing so, I hovered, waiting for the others to set off. Moments later, they set off flying and I soon followed, flying by Bill and Fleur, then shifting to fly by Harry's side. He had Hedwig in her cage below him, and I readied my scythe, knowing her time was near. Harry was going to be devastated; Hedwig had always been his link to the magical world when he was cooped up at the Dursley's.

Not long into our flight, the Death Eaters attacked, and I watched as spells flew all around me as the Order were violently attacked. I quickly shifted to Alastor and swung my scythe as he was hit, severing his soul from his body. He looked at me in shock for a moment, then nodded and flew by me as I flew back to Hedwig.

"Do something!" he yelled at me. "Stop them getting anyone else!"

"I cannot." I told him, to his anger.

"Harry could be killed!"

"Harry will not be harmed." I replied calmly, waiting for the right moment. Soon enough, Harry was forced to jump on the back of Hagrid's bike as a curse struck the sidecar. Harry screamed as his owl was hit by a Killing Curse meant for him, and I swung my scythe and Hedwig soared free of her body, landing on my shoulder with a low hoot.

I saw the pain on Harry's face as he aimed his wand at the sidecar and shouted a spell, causing it to explode and send a nearby Death Eater flying.

I flew over to Severus and watched as he aimed his Sectumsempra spell at a Death Eater, only for the Death Eater to fly out of the way at the last minute and for the spell to hit George in the ear, taking his ear clean off. Soon after, I joined the others at The Burrow, where all was chaos.

Molly was frantically leant over George, who was out cold on the sofa, having his ear tended to. In moments, she had taken care of the worst of the damage, before tearfully saying she couldn't heal Dark Magic.

"Harry, where's Dean? Maybe he can do something." Hermione said, looking worried.

Harry looked round for me, then shook his head.

I stepped out, visible, momentarily forgetting to shift back into Dean.

Molly screamed and whipped her wand out before I shifted back into Dean. She dropped her wand and stared at me warily.

"You're. . .Death?" she asked, bending to retreive her wand.

"All this time?" she said, still staring at me, unable to believe what her eyes had just seen.

"Yes." I said softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she suddely screamed. "All this time I've been letting you into my house - feeding you, be around my children!"

"Calm yourself, Molly."

"Don't you tell me what to do! Get out! Go on, get out!"

"Mum, stop it!" Ron interjected. "He's here for You-Know-Who, not us!"

"Really?" she asked, looking to him, then back at me in surprise.

"Ultimately, yes, I am here for Tom Riddle."

"Ultimately? That means you are here for one of my children!" Molly burst out.

"I am not here for your children." I said. "Yet."

"Yet?" she screeched.

I sighed. "Molly, you cannot stop what is meant to be. As sad as it is, if your children die, I will have to come for their souls to give them the choice that all souls are given - to Move On, or to stay behind as a ghost."

She sank into a nearby chair, near tears, confused as to exactly what was going on, her mind reeling at the fact that her son was hanging around with Death.

"Mum, it's okay, Dean's cool." Ron said. "It doesn't bother me that he's Death - well, not anymore."

"Anymore?" his mother hissed, looking up at him.

"Well, it used to. . .but not anymore." he admitted.

"Molly, trust me, Dean is not going to harm Ron, or any of your children." Remus said, and Molly immediately looked relieved. I knew she trusted Remus with her life, so if he said I was okay, then I was okay.

George groaned as he began to come round, and everyone immediately gathered round, Fred and Molly the first ones in the group.

"George? George? Speak to me!" Fred begged.

"I'm. . .saint-like. . ." George muttered, his eyes half open.

"Oh, God, his brain's been addled!" Fred cried.

"I'm. . .holy. . ." George muttered, opening his eyes to stare at his brother. "Holy. . . saint-like. . .geddit?"

Fred gave a choked laugh. "All the ear related jokes at your disposal, and you go with that?"

Everyone else gave a relieved smile and the atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed, only to shoot up again when Bill and Fluer burst in, Bill looking stricken.

"Mad-Eye's dead!" he burst out. The atmosphere plummeted as everyone took in Bill's words.

"Where's Mundungus?" I asked, causing everyone to look at me, then to Bill.

"He took off as soon as they attacked." he said grimly.

I shook my head at the man's cowardice. Mind you, he had said from the beginning of our journey here that he didn't want to be a false Harry. He wasn't the most pleasant of men as it was, doing everything he could for a quick Galleon.

Firewhisky was brought out and we all silently toasted Alastor's death. Suddenly, however, Hermione looked at me.

"You already knew, didn't you?" she asked.

"Of course he did." Molly said. "Why didn't you save him?"

"He was meant to die. I cannot interfere with someone's death if their death is meant to be." I explained. Somehow, this news didn't seem to make anyone any happier.

After some time had passed, everyone slowly dispersed to bed, while I stayed sat by the fireplace, flicking my hand to conjure up a warm fire - not that I needed it. It was simply for something to look at while I waited for everyone to wake up.

As I awaited their awakening, I harvested the soul of an unfortunate Muggle, who had had the ill fortune to come across a Death Eater with his wand out.

Days later, The Burrow was a hive of activity as Bill and Fleur's wedding got underway. I watched as Harry, Ron and Hermione were kept busy cleaning, so busy, in fact, that they scarcely had a moment to discuss their journey for the Horcruxes. I already knew this was part of Molly's plan - she knew Albus had left Harry a task, and could not understand why Albus had not asked her, or one of the other adults. In her eyes, Harry was but a child.

Finally, after hours of work, the trio were able to meet up in Ron's room and talk. I had been waiting about ten minutes when they trooped in, Hermione flopping down by a huge pile of books and sorting through them. Harry and Ron sank onto the bed and Harry took a breath before looking up.

"Listen, you two, you don't have to come with me. I'll be fine by myself."

"Here he goes." Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"As we knew he would," she sighed, turning her attention back to Hogwarts: A History, which she had been musing over for some minutes now. "You know, I think I will take it with us. Even if we're not going back there, I don't think I'd feel right if I didn't have it with me."

"Listen!" Harry said.

"No, Harry, you listen." Hermione spoke up, looking at him. "We're coming with you. That was decided months ago - years, really."

"But -" Harry attempted to interject.

"Shut up." Ron advised. I was inclined to agree with Ron. There was no way Harry was going to win this argument.

"-are you sure you've thought this through?" Harry went on, determined to get a question in somehow.

"Let's see," Hermione said, slamming a book onto the discard pile with a fierce look on her face. "I've been packing for days, so we're ready to leave at a moment's notice, which, for your information has included doing some pretty difficult magic, not to mention smuggling Mad-Eye's entire stock of Polyjuice under Ron's mum's nose. I've also modified my parent's memories so that they're convinced they're really called Wendell and Monica Wilkins, and that their life's ambition is to move to Australia, which they have now done. That's to make it more difficult for Voldemort to hunt them down and interrogate them, because unfortunately, I've told them quite a bit about you. Assuming I survive our hunt for the Horcruxes, I'll find Mum and Dad and lift the enchantment. If I don't. . .well, I think I've cast a good enough charm to keep them safe and happy. Wendell and Monica Wilkins don't know they've got a daughter, you see."

Her voice cracked as she finished, her eyes swimming with tears. Ron jumped off the bed and put his arm around her, and frowned at Harry, who looked lost for words at the lengths Hermione had gone to.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't realise -"

"That Ron and I knew perfectly well what might happen if we came with you? Well, we do. Show him, Ron."

Ron took Harry up to the Attic, where he showed him the house Ghoul, who was dressed in a pair of Ron's old pajamas, and made to look like he had Spattergroit. It was actually a brilliant plan - no witch or wizard would want to go near someone who had Spattergroit, due to how contagious it was.

Talk then turned to the Horcruxes once more, and Regulus' note inside the fake locket. Hermione then startled the other two by revealing that she had Summoned a few books on Horcruxes the day of Albus' funeral. I had to hand it to her, she really was a brilliant witch. The trio spoke of ways to destroy a Horcrux, and Hermione revealed that one of the only foolproof ways was to stab a Horcrux with a Basilisk fang. What I didn't say was that my scythe could also destroy a Horcrux. Unfortunately, however, I could not sense them. It was the only barrier that was stopping me from claiming Tom Riddle's soul. That, and the Prophecy. Sadly, I was forbidden from interfering with Prophecies.

A day later, and Fleur's parents arrived, jabbering French to one another. I spoke fluent French, to Fleur's amazement, who then proceeded to jabber away at me in rapid-fire French on how I spoke so well. I fobbed her off by saying I knew a few language spells. Later that night, everyone went to bed, and I saw Harry looked sadly at Molly as she left to go to bed.

"I hate this." he said to me.

I simply looked at him.

"I'm being such a bother to everyone here - Bill and Fleur's wedding would be perfect if it wasn't for all the security spells in place to keep me safe. It feels wrong!"

"In that case, Harry, console yourself that you will be here for only two more days." I said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

By way of reply, I simply walked out to go stroke a chicken.


	15. Chapter 15

I watched as Harry slowly awoke, his glasses on the windowsill some ten feet away. He grinned as he realised what day it was and grabbed his wand, excitement painted on his face, which slipped off into a disgruntled look as his Summoning Charm caused his glasses to poke him in the eye. Ron sniggered, having been awake ten minutes already and waiting for this moment.

"Happy Birthday, Harry." he said.

"Yes, many happy returns of the day." I said, earning me a strange look from the boys. Too late, I remembered that mortals no longer used that phrase when wishing someone good will on the anniversary of their birth. Oops.

"Thanks." Harry said, still giving me that strange look.

"Sorry," I said. "I forgot you don't use that phrase any more."

"It's not that. It's. . you." Harry said slowly, looking me up and down. I followed his gaze and realised I'd forgotten to turn back into Dean after harvesting last night's soul. I quickly did so, and Harry looked relieved.

Judging by the noise and smells wafting up from the kitchen downstairs, Molly had a huge feast prepared for Harry's birthday, and, judging from his grin, Harry was well aware of this. I knew the Weasleys meant a great deal to him, not that he had ever said anything to me - it was just what I knew.

Hermione walked in and told the two boys that breakfast was ready and waiting, and they shot downstairs. Hermione and I followed at a leisurely pace.

"So, tell me, Hermione. How difficult was the Undetectable Extension Charm you placed on your bag?"

She looked at me, her eyes silently asking the question her mouth began to form.

"I can see magic. Your bag has a very strong spell on it. It must have taken a while to perfect." I said.

She immediately looked flustered.

"Oh, no, I managed to get it on my second try. The first time, the bag turned inside out, but the spellbook warned about that. It takes a great deal of concentration." she explained, then went on to explain just how the spell was performed, and the many uses for it. I knew she was very nervous, fearful of being caught by Molly at any moment was driving her crazy, and she just wanted to leave with the boys so they could get this over with, and she could get her parents back.

The two of us walked into the kitchen, where Harry and the Weasleys were already sat, eating and chatting, the Delacours jabbering to one another in French.

I sat down and accepted the enormous plateful of food Molly placed in front of me. I knew she'd forgotten again that I had no need of nourishment. I'd explained this several times to her over the past few days, and she'd promised to not make me anything, as I'd told her to save food for others who might need it more, telling her that I knew she did not have much in the way of money, despite having won the Daily Prophet's grand prize four years ago. She had blushed, then poured out her worries to me, how she was afraid of losing everything, her family, her home, her life. I had soothed her worries and told her she had nothing to fear.

I shook my head with a rueful smile and tucked in. Once again, my human guise took over and I found myself shovelling the food in. I hadn't eaten or drunk in almost a week, and my guise seemed to be taking over once more. I wondered what would happen if I let my guise take over completely for a moment, then banished the thought from my mind immediately. It would not do to lose sight of why I was truly here. I was not here to inconvenience these people, I was here for one thing and one thing only.

Tom Riddle.

I watched as Harry received his birthday gifts, laughing when Ron handed him a book on how to charm witches. Clearly, Harry felt the same way I did, because he thanked Ron while biting back a smirk.

Molly took Harry aside and handed him a gold watch, a symbol of a wizard's manhood. Harry hugged her wordlessly, and Molly went pink before bustling off to finish preparations for Harry's birthday meal.

Harry's birthday that night was cut short by the arrival of the Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour.

He pulled the four of us into the living room, closing the door behind him.

I knew he was here about the will, but surely, Albus wouldn't have left me anything? I wasn't human - I had no need of material possessions!

Rufus sat in an armchair, while the trio took the sofa nearby. I stood where I was, wishing he'd get this over with already.

"I am sure you know why I am here." he began. He was rewarded with blank looks.

"Am I to understand that you did not know that Albus Dumbledore left you something in his will?"

"Us?" Ron said, sounding bewildered. "Why us?"

"That is what I would like to know, Mr Weasley." Rufus replied, taking out a long section of parchment.

"But Dumbledore died over a month ago. Why has it taken this long to give us what he left us?"

I knew there was a law in the Ministry that allowed them to keep, and examine the effects of a will for thirty-one days. However, I suspected that Rufus had done this on purpose, hoping Albus had left Harry something that could potentially be used to defeat Voldemort.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked. "They wanted to examine whatever he left us! You had no right!" she said to Rufus.

"I had every right," he said dismissively. The Decree for Justifiable Confiscation gives the Ministry the power to confiscate the contents of a will -"

"That law was created to stop wizards passing on Dark artefacts," Hermione interrupted. "and the Ministry is supposed to have powerful evidence that the deceased's possessions are illegal before seizing them! Are you telling me that you thought Dumbledore was trying to pass us something cursed?"

"Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?"

"No I'm not! I'm planning to do some good in the world!"

Ron laughed, and I bit back a smile as Harry spoke up.

"So why have you decided to let us have our things now? Can't think of a pretext to keep them?"

"No, it'll be because the thirty-one days are up." Hermione said, before Rufus had the chance to speak. "They can't keep objects longer than that unless they can prove they're dangerous. Right?"

Rufus completely ignored her, and turned his attention to Ron, asking him if he was close to Dumbledore. Ron stumbled over himself in surprise as he answered. I shook my head as Rufus realised Ron had hit the fatal flaw.

He badgered him with questions, like why had Dumbledore left him something if they didn't get on. Ron had no answer, and Rufus turned his attention to the parchment in front of him.

"The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." he read out. "Ah, yes, here we are - to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hopes that he will remember me when he uses it."

After handing the precious item to Ron, and questioning him about it, Rufus turned his attention to the next person in the will.

"To Dean Eath -" I felt a curious clench in my stomach. Was this. . .excitement? I looked down at my stomach in confusion.

"I leave something that he will no doubt find as valuable, if not more so, than a precious item. I leave him a piece of advice that I am sure will help him in years to come."

I waited patiently for the advice, my stomach unclenching as Rufus spoke.

"You are not alone. Stick by your friends and you shall soon find your goal."

As he looked at me, I realised that was all I was going to get. I gave a wry smile. Albus had known then, that even I felt something akin to loneliness. He was also right in that I had formed a certain bond with the trio. I had never thought that I would bond with anyone other than Ignotus Peverell. How like him Harry was.

"Tell me. Why would Dumbledore leave you such a message?" he asked.

"That is of no concern of yours, Rufus Scrimgeour. That message was for me, and me alone." I replied. He narrowed his eyes at me. I stared right back at him. Oh. He was going to die tomorrow. I'd plain forgotten. I was getting old.

Rufus turned his attention from me and instead to Hermione, telling her that she had been left an original copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Hermione held the book on her lap, a tear splashing onto the embossed symbols on the cover.

"Why do you think Dumbledore left you this book?" Scrimgeour asked.

I already knew the answer to that one. In that book was the story of the Deathly Hallows.

"He knew I liked books?" Hermione said, sniffing.

Rufus pressed her about secret codes, to which she replied, quite coldly, that she had never discussed any method of passing messages with Dumbledore, and if the Ministry couldn't find any codes, then it was doubtful that she would. I had to clench my hands to stop myself from applauding.

Rufus then handed Harry the thing Dumbledore had left him - the first Snitch Harry had ever caught. I knew that inside the Snitch lay the Ressurrection Stone.

Moments later, after nothing happened, and Rufus revealed that the sword of Godric Gryffindor had been left to Harry, an argument broke out about Voldemort.

Rufus left in anger, and Harry's birthday resumed, and within minutes, was over. I nabbed several pieces of cake and followed the trio upstairs, where I sat munching as Hermione cast Muffliato on the stairs and sank down onto the floor. The three of them sat and discussed the effects they had been left, asking me what I thought the advice I had been left meant. I shrugged and munched another hunk of cake hungrily. What was going on with me lately? I couldn't seem to stop eating.

As the Snitch was revealed to have five words written on - I open at the close - there was a creak from downstairs and we all froze. Hermione left the room and the three of us laid down in silence, broken only by my final gulp as I swallowed the last piece of cake.

The next day, the wedding took place. It was a glorious affair, and I found myself having a wonderful time, to my surprise. I hadn't been to a wedding for one hundred and twenty three years, when a bride and groom had both dropped dead moments after saying their vows. I watched with a smile as Luna danced with her father and the party got into full swing.

It was time.

I took myself off to the Ministry and swung my scythe as Rufus Scrimgeour breathed his last. I watched as his body was discovered, and Kingsley Shacklebolt sent a Patronus message to the Weasleys. Taking myself off to where the trio were, I found myself in a cafe, where the three of them had ordered four coffees.

"Thanks." I said, downing the sweet drink in one gulp.

As two Death Eaters suddenly turned and attacked, I knew that our journey for the Horcruxes had just begun. Soon, Tom Riddle, I thought to myself.

Soon, your soul shall be mine.


	16. Chapter 16

I looked around Grimmauld Place with interest, picking up on the magic that still lingered faintly in the atmosphere, picking up strongly on the Permanent Sticking Charm that was placed upon Walburga Black's portrait on the landing. Even from here, I could sense her malice. I certainly hoped she wasn't going to be doing any of that screaming nonsense again. I had a headache as it was, and I never got headaches. My human guise certainly seemed to be affecting me.

I walked into the living room, to where the trio were looking relieved, after Arthur's Patronus had appeared with a message, saying the family was safe, and not to reply back as they were being watched. I sank into a chair as Harry announced his sudden need for the bathroom and took off upstairs. Hermione soon followed, grabbing Harry's toothbrush, as he'd forgotten to take it with him. It was getting late, and all three were exhausted.

"Can we sleep in here?" Hermione asked as Harry returned. "I don't want to be alone tonight. I've got sleeping bags for us."

"Yeah, okay." Ron agreed immediately. The three of them got four sleeping bags out, and I smiled, touched that Hermione had thought of me, although she had, like many others, forgotten that I had no need for blankets. Cold did not bother me, nor did heat. I took the proffered blanket, however, smiling at her gratefully. She smiled tiredly at me and sank down into her own bag.

"Don't worry about keeping watch or anything, you three. I never sleep, so I'll keep watch over you." I said to them, smiling gently as Hermione's eyes drooped, and Ron's head dropped onto his chest as they lay down, their hands brushing one another.

All three of them were exhausted and scared. It certainly wasn't going to be an easy ride for them, there was no doubt about that. Soon enough, the three of them fell asleep, Ron and Hermione holding hands as they slept, both of them unaware of this, as they had both been asleep when it occurred.

I waited until Harry awoke, then followed him upstairs to Sirius' room, where he looked around in the drawers, until he found letters from Lily to Sirius. He sank slowly onto the bed as he sat reading, then came across the bottom part of the letter, which was ripped.

"Mum, what were you going to say?" he whispered, putting the letters down and standing. I followed him to a door which bore a plate engraved with three very familiar letters.

"R.A.B?" Harry said, amazed at having found it at last. He went inside and discovered what I had known all along.

"Regulus Arcturus Black?"

"Yes." I said, confirming Harry's thoughts. "He was Sirius' younger brother."

"So you knew him." It wasn't a question, but I nodded in confirmation, then left the room before Harry could ask anything more. I would tell him all soon enough - or rather, Kreacher would.

Hermione and Ron had entered as I was leaving, and the three of them looked for the real locket for over an hour, but came up with nothing.

"Harry," Hermione said. "Remember last summer, when we were cleaning this house out? That locket we found. . ."

"Oh, God," Harry said, horrified. "We threw it out!"

I had been stood, invisisble outside the room, listening and I walked back in.

"Perhaps Kreacher stole it back?" I suggested mildly. Harry looked up.

"Kreacher!" he called. The miserable looking elf appeared with a crack.

"You called, Master?" he said, muttering curses under his breath.

"We threw a locket out last year. Did you steal it back?"

The elf nodded, then explained that the foul thief, Mundungus Fletcher had stolen it, and Kreacher had not seen it since.

Kreacher then told the tale of what had really happened to Regulus, how Voldemort had used Kreacher to test out the enchantment in the cave, and how Regulus had told Kreacher to take the fake locket, and once the basin was empty, to swap the two lockets. Kreacher was then ordered to leave without Regulus; to go home and say not a word to anyone, but to destroy the first locket any way he could. Regulus then drank all the potion and was dragged beneath the waters by the Inferi. Kreacher then turned his glistening eyes to me

"And you were there, too. Kreacher remembers you, oh yes." he said. I said nothing, simply looked at him and waited for him to continue his sorry tale.

"Nothing Kreacher did made any mark upon it," he wailed. "Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing would work. . .so many powerful spells upon the casing, Kreacher was sure the only way to destroy it was to get inside, but it would not open. . .Kreacher punished himself, he tried again, he punished hismelf, he tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And his mistress was mad with grief, because Master Regulus has disappeared, and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any one of the f-family what happened in the c-cave. . ."

The elf broke down into huge, wracking sobs, unable to speak. Hermione made no attempt to stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as she imagined what he had gone through.

Harry confessed he didn't understand why Kreacher had sold Sirius to Bellatrix. Hermione helpfully explained that that wasn't how house-elves thought. Kreacher was loyal to those who were kind to him, and Regulus and his mistress certainly had been.

Harry asked Kreacher as nicely as he could to go find Mundungus Fletcher and bring him to Grimmauld Place. He then presented Kreacher with the fake locket, whereupon the elf burst into tears, and finally calmed down enough after an hour to take it to his cupboard, before bowing to the boys and I, and saluting Hermione, then Disapparating with a loud crack.

The days passed, and there was no sign of Kreacher.

Ron had taken to flicking the Deluminator on and off again when he was bored, which was quite often.

Hermione, who was busying translating The Tales of Beedle the Bard, found this extremely annoying, and finally snapped.

"Will you stop that?! I'm trying to translate these runes in case there's something Dumbledore was trying to tell me!"

"He left me the Deluminator, too," Ron argued. "I'm supposed to use it!"

"Cease your bickering, you two." I told them. "It solves nothing and will only cause trouble."

"Yeah, you," Ron said, turning on me suddenly. "Why didn't you tell us that it was Regulus who had the real locket sooner?! We could have avoided this whole stupid mess!"

"I did not realise I had to tell you everything, Ronald Weasley." I said icily.

The room went quiet, and Harry quietly left, unseen by the others. The front door rattled, and a figure stepped inside. Instantly, the trio were on their feet, wands drawn and pointing at the figure, who held up his hands.

"Calm yourselves, it's me, Remus!"

"Oh, thank goodness." Hermione said, putting her wand away. Ron followed suit. Harry, however, kept his wand trained on Remus, until Remus gave proof that he was who he said he was. He sat down in the kitchen with us, and told us that everything was fine back home.

Talk turned to Nymphadora, and it was revealed that she was expecting, something that I already knew. Remus revealed that he was regretting marrying her, let alone making her pregnant. He greatly feared that the child would be a werewolf, as his kind were not meant to breed. Harry called him a coward, and, after sending Harry flying with a spell, Remus fled, furious at himself.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, who said that in his opinion, fathers should stay with their children. I understood how he felt - he had never known his parents.

Harry took the newspaper that Remus had left and sat reading it, turning the pages noisily, as Hermione and Ron silently communicated with their eyes how they felt about this matter. Sensing that Kreacher was coming, I stepped aside smartly as the crack echoed in the kitchen, and Kreacher appeared, wrestling with Mundungus.

Kreacher disentangled himself from Mundungus and bowed low to Harry, explaining that he had returned. Mundungus put up a fight, and I vanished, reappearing in front of him and dropped my disguise. Instantly, all colour left his face and he staggered backwards and opened his mouth to scream.

"Scream and it will be your last." I threatened. It was, of course, an empty threat - I could not harm anyone, could not take their soul unless it was their time. I could, however, yank a person's soul temporarily from their body should I choose to do so. The only exception was Tom Riddle, and the reason for that was his Horcruxes. The soul had to be whole.

Mundungus made a funny noise, like a 'meep' and shut his mouth as I resumed my disguise.

"You can question him now." I said calmly, smiling at Kreacher, who bowed to me.

"Er. . .thanks." Harry said, before launching into questioning Mundungus. Immediately, he called Sirius' things 'junk' and Kreacher began smashing him over the head with a saucepan. I chuckled as Mundungus howled.

"Kreacher, stop!" Harry ordered.

"Perhaps just one more, Master Harry, for luck?" Kreacher asked. I laughed openly. I was starting to like this elf.

Mundungus revealed he had given the locket to Dolores Umbridge, much to the trio's horror.

Once he had left, Hermione turned a horrified face to Harry.

"How on earth are we going to get it off her?"

"We break into the Ministry." Harry replied.


	17. Chapter 17

"Snape is Headmaster of Hogwarts? No way!" Ron burst out, looking from Harry to Hermione and I.

Harry had just returned from the final scouting of the Ministry, and had finally worked out how to enter. During his scout, however, he had learned that Severus had been made the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It was on the front page of the Daily Prophet that lay on the table before us. The four of us were in the kitchen, Ron, Hermione and I sat at the table, each of us nursing a cup of cocoa made by Kreacher, who, it turned out, was a fantastic cook when he was feeling nice. He had a soft spot for Harry and I, and had told me the reason he liked me is because I knew what it was like to not be human.

"I can't believe it, either." Harry sighed, sinking into a chair with a sigh. Kreacher immediately ran up and placed a steaming mug down in front of him. Harry took a sip of the chocolatey sweetness and gave a grateful sigh.

"Thanks, Kreacher."

"You are most welcome, Master Harry." Kreacher croaked, bowing low before running off to check if the oven was hot enough to start preparing that night's stew for dinner.

As I sat sipping my cocoa quietly, talk turned to the locket, and Dolores once more. After some talk, Harry spoke up.

"I think we should do it tomorrow."

Hermione froze, her cocoa halfway to her mouth and on gaped at Harry. I said nothing, did nothing. The sooner we got to the Ministry, the better. I had business there. Not that I was telling any of them that.

"Are you mad? Ron asked hoarsley.

"I think we're ready. We know as much as we can possibly learn without actually being inside the Ministry itself." Harry argued.

He wasn't wrong there. They'd spent so long preparing now that any more waiting and scouting would be pointless.

Suddenly, Harry went white and stood up, making excuses that he needed the bathroom. Hermione and Ron followed him, and I heard Harry yelling out not long after, and Hermione telling him off for not closing his mind to Voldemort.

I closed my ears to them as I thought about my reason for going to the Ministry

The next morning, I was sat in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea when Hermione walked in. Kreacher served her a cup of coffee and some hot rolls and she sat, reciting everything to herself, looking as manic as she had the year before when she had been revising for her exams.

Harry and Ron walked in, Hermione barely gave them a nod before retuning to muttering her list to herself under her breath.

Soon enough, we left, and arrived at the place where the others had been scouting from for so long.

In no time at all, we were there, inside the Ministry of Magic. Hermione had taken on the form of Mafalda Hopkirk, Ron was Reg Cattermole, and Harry was Albert Runcorn, a rather menacing looking fellow. Me? I was no one. No one and nothing. I was invisible to all, not even the trio could see me, and that was just the way I wanted it. I told them in a quiet whisper that I would meet them the moment they had the locket and walked off, my destination clear.

Heading to the black corridor Harry had seen in his dreams in his fifth year, I walked into the Department of Mysteries and dropped both my disguise and my invisibility. Instantly, I sensed the veil react to my presence some way ahead. Momentarily ignoring it, I floated over to the door that Harry had told me he had failed to open, the one that Albus had told him contained a force far more powerful than death. He had been wrong. Behind that door was something that belonged to me, something that had been stolen from me. I had been waiting a long time to retreive it. I did not want to simply saunter into the Ministry and take it back, I had wanted a clear reason to go into the Ministry, and now I finally had one. I reached out and grabbed the handle and turned it. The door was locked. I growled. If they thought they could keep me out then they were sadly mistaken. I pulled at the handle, harder and harder. I roared and pulled with all my considerable might and the door splintered, then flew off it's hinges, flying through me and crashing to the floor behind me. I gave another low growl as I thought of all the trouble they had gone to hide it from me. I walked into the large room and took a look around.

The room was spacious, and shone and twinkled as though lit by a million stars. It was quite beautiful really. I had to stop thinking like a human. I was going to get what I came here for and then leave. Looking round, I began to get very annoyed. There was no sign of it anywhere. I began to search, my movements becoming more and more frantic as the room yeilded nothing. Taking my scythe, I swung it in a large arc in anger - and the room exploded around me. Stopping where I was, I watched as the shards of the mirrors that had adorned the walls and floor flew through the air, sparkling like diamonds. Finally, the true room was revealed. I took a look at the true room before me. The walls were made of marble and stone and engraved with drawings. Drawings of me. They were etched into the wall, and I was shown handing over three objects to three figures. I stopped and stared at it. I had known what was in this room. Not simply the thing they had stolen from me, but in this room was knowledge. Everything that anyone could ever want to know was within this room. Right now, the room was telling me something I already knew. It was showing me they night I had given the three Peverell brothers the Deathly Hallows.

"Show me something I don't know, why don't you." I told it. The engraving began to wriggle around, changing, ever changing, before it finally settled, showing me a picture of myself as I was now, with a figure laid on the ground behind me, clutching an hourglass in it's hand.

"What does this mean?" I demanded, thoroughly bewildered.

The drawing changed and words appeared instead.

"You're beginning to like human life."

"Yes, I am. I'll admit that I'm starting to like living as Dean Eath - but I know my duty!" I thundered. The room itself seemed to shrink away.

"Don't shout. I can hear you. Are you afraid of being human?"

"Don't be absurd. Of course not. I fear nothing. If I enjoy living as a human, what of it? It all ends when Tom Riddle dies."

The words vanished and the wall went blank. Evidently, the room was done with me. I, however, was not done with the room.

"Tell me one last thing."

The words appeared once more, and I got the feeling the room was tired. It hadn't had anyone inside it for a few centuries, after all.

"What?"

"Tell me where it is."

The words revealed the location and I turned to walk out. Suddenly, the wall gave me a final message.

"Close the door on your way out."

I would have rolled my eyes if I had them. As it was, I simply shook my head in quiet exasperation and flicked a hand at the door, restoring it to how it had been before I wrecked it, before turning and making my way to the veil, which, even as I drew closer, was going crazy.

Finally, I reached the veil and put a hand inside. A hand touched mine, and I pulled the spirit out.

Sirius looked at me in surprise.

"You?"

"Me," I said. "Sirius. Where are Lily and James? Are they still watching over Harry?"

"Yeah," he replied. "They've been watching over him since they died. But then again, you'd know all about that."

"Actually, for the past year and a half, I've been living with Harry, Ron and Hermione." I told him.

His jaw dropped.

"I've been living with them because of the Hallows."

"Those things? I thought they were just a story."

I pulled out the Elder Wand from my scythe and his jaw dropped once more.

"Is that. . .?"

"The Elder Wand, yes."

"Woah. . ."

"Sirius, this is serious. I need to tell you something that I'm not sure if you already know."

His face immediately turned serious.

"Harry is going to die at the end of this year."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I already know. I knew it the moment I died, the moment your scythe freed my soul from my body."

"That's a relief. You do know Harry will summon you and his parents before he dies."

"Yes. We're waiting on it. Lily's going mad, thinking how afraid he must be, doing what he is. The three of them are all alone. James and I have both said we wish we could be with them, helping them out. It's wrong that they have to do this alone, but -"

"But having adults with them would probably spoil it, the adult would take full charge and they would learn nothing. As it is, they are maturing very quickly." I finished for him. He nodded. "I'm so proud of Harry. We all are."

After some more chatter, and my promise to stay with Harry until he died, Sirius glided back through the veil, and I stepped through after him. On the other side of the veil, all was silent and quiet. Countless spirits glided about, none of them seeming surprised in the least to see me there. I flew on, searching. They had thrown it through the veil, thinking no one would ever find it. They were right. No living person would find it. I, however, not being a living person, fully intended to find it.

Some time later, I came across it and reached down to pick it up. There it was. A blank hourglass. No name, no sand, nothing. It was the only one of it's kind, and had been with me for as long as I could remember, and that was a very long time indeed. Taking it in my hand, I turned to leave, only to practically bump into Lily and James.

"You." Lily said, looking at me. "You can't. Please. Not Harry."

"Lily, I am not Tom Riddle, you do not have to beg me to spare Harry's life."

"But he's going to die."

"You have known this long enough, Lily Potter."

"But it's so unfair! My son has been through enough!" she burst out. "First he has to stay with my sister and that fat oaf of a husband of hers, and they treat him like scum, just because of his magic, and then all his life he's had nothing but trouble! And, to top it all off, he has to die!"

"Calm yourself, Lily." I said. "Yes, he has to die, but, as I said to Albus, Harry himself will not be killed, only the part of Tom Riddle that lies within him. Harry will go into Limbo, no doubt, but not for long. He will return to the world of the living."

"Really?" Hope shone within Lily's ethereal eyes as she gazed at me.

"I would not lie to you, Lily."

"Oh, thank you!" she cried, flinging her arms around me. Unlike mortals, to me, ghosts and other spirits were completely solid, so her hug actually connected. I allowed her to hug me for a brief moment, then pulled away, slipping from her grasp.

"I must go. Harry, Ron and Hermione are infiltrating the Ministry. Dolores Umbridge has one of Tom Riddle's Horcruxes, and they must get it back and destroy it."

Lily gave a gasp and hurried me out of the veil, and I slipped the blank hourglass into my pocket and flew along the labyrinthe corridors until I finally realised that where I had left was where I was meant to be, so, backtracking and slipping through a few walls, I arrived in Courtroom Six, where Dolores Umbridge was sat with Hermione, as Mafalda, before a terrified Muggle woman. I took a look at her. Mary Elizabeth Cattermole. She was terrified, and, glancing round, I saw why. I hadn't noticed the enormous mass of Dementors, swirling above. Dolores' Patronus was the only thing keeping them at bay - and now I was here, they crept back just a little bit further. Dementors feared me - I seemed to be the only thing other than a Patronus that they kept away from. As Mary's "hearing" went on, Harry, who was sat behind Hermione, could take no more and he raised his wand.

"Stupefy!"

The spell slammed into her and her head smacked into the short railing in front of her, and papers cascaded to the floor. The moment Dolores was knocked out, her Patronus disappeared, and Yaxley looked up, before the Stunning Spell knocked him out cold, too. I wasn't going to bother even thinking of him by his first name, the man was digusting - wait. I was thinking like a human again. Shaking my head, I approached Mary and snapped her chains with a hand and she stood, shaking. She then screamed as a Dementor approached, it's hands outstretched for her face. I sideled in front of her to block it, and immediately, it reared away from me in fear. I saw all present look confused at the Dementor's apparant revulsion of Mary and decided to make myself known.

"It's me." I said, speaking as Dean without bothering to transform.

"Dean? Thank goodness. We need to get out of here, now!" Hermione said. Within moments, we were in the Atrium, where wizards and witches alike were rushing to seal all the exits. Before the trio could reach a gate, however, Mary hugged Ron, demanding to know what was going on. Just then, the real Reg Cattermole appeared, looking pale and tired, and very, very confused when he saw his wife apparently hugging himself.

"Mary? What's going on?" he said. Mary looked over, and her face registered pure confusion.

This was not good. We had to leave. Soon. Ron slipped out of her grasp as Yaxley ran in, fury etched upon his features. The final exit was sealed. We were trapped. I sighed. I didn't want to have to do this, but it seemed there was no choice.

"You three!" I called, ensuring only they could hear me. "Take my hand! Quick!"

I became visible to only the three of them, and they quickly linked hands, just as Harry grabbed my hand. I whisked us off to Grimmauld Place, and, to their horror, and my surprise, Yaxley was holding tight to Hermione's hand. She screamed. I hadn't even sensed him latch on.

"GO!" I shouted, knocking Yaxley away and into the house. The three of them Disapparated, leaving me alone with Yaxley.

Kreacher came into the hall to see what all the commotion was about.

"Master Harry. . .? Oh."

"Get away, elf!" Yaxley snarled, kicking out at him. Kreacher recoiled, and then suddenly caught sight of me. I put a finger to my lips and he nodded. I tapped Yaxley on the back and he spun round, and, not seeing anything, grumbled angrily to himself. I was going to have some fun with this one.

I gave a low whistle and he whirled round, and this time, I appeared and roared in his face as loudly as I could. He went white, then whiter still.

"Boo." I whispered. He gave a curious whimper and collapsed. Just then, Walburga began screaming and I flew up to the landing where her portrait was screaming away.

"Enough!" I shouted. Her screaming stopped and she stared at me.

"You!" she screeched.

"Me." I said calmly. "Now, this house no longer belongs to you. It hasn't for a long time. This house now, by all rights, belongs to Harry James Potter. He is Sirius' godson."

"That son of mine! He's a lousy wretch, a no good, good-for-nothing -"

"That good-for-nothing son of your gave his life in order to stop the Dark Lord." I said quietly.

"LIES!"

"Look at me!" I yelled, causing her screams to stop instantly. Her eyes bored into my eye sockets.

"Kreacher. Come. Tell your former Mistress the truth. The truth about Master Sirius and Master Regulus." I said.

"No! Kreacher promised! He can't! He can't!"

"Kreacher." I said gently. "You and I both know that a Master's orders end when they die. You have done your job admirably, but now it is time the truth was told. This house, in the future, needs to become a house of happiness, where Harry and his family can live in peace and happiness. Wouldn't you like that, Kreacher? To have this house full of happy people once more?"

"Y-yes, Kreacher would like that." he admitted with a sniffle. I stood back, and, through the next hour, Kreacher told his former Mistress the full truth about how Regulus had defected, upon realising Voldemort's true goals, and how Sirius had died saving Harry and his friends. By the time his tale was finished, Walburga was sobbing too much to say a word. The curtains pulled themselves over her, and all that could be heard was her sobbing.

"Kreacher. Harry, Ron and Hermione can no longer return here. A Death Eater has seen the house and can get to it. I am about to erase his memory of it, but I need you to hold this place against any intruders. Okay?"

"Yes. Kreacher hears and understands," he said, saluting me. "Kreacher will defend this house against intruders!"

"Good." I said, walking to Yaxley and hoisting him into the air, then tossing him outside after erasing his memory of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

I then turned my attention to the trio. I had to find them, and soon. That Horcrux was going to cause a few problems.


	18. Chapter 18

I sat in the tent with the others, ignoring the constant tapping of the rain on the tent as it poured down outside, watching Hermione pore over a book, while Harry sat by Ron, who was fast asleep, having had Splinched himself when the trio had left Grimmauld Place so suddenly.

"Dean?" Hermione asked timidly, suddenly looking up from her book.

"Hm?" I looked up to find both she and Harry staring at me.

"What did you do to Yaxley?"

I was surprised at her question, I hadn't expected her to be bothered about the likes of him, and said so.

"It's not that I'm bothered," she said. "It's more that I'm worried about what the other Death Eaters will do to us if they manage to find us. They might think we did whatever you did."

"You need have no fear about that," I replied. "I just scared him a little, then erased his memory of Grimmauld Place. All the same, I think it best that we camp out for some time until we are more sure of our plan of action for the next Horcrux."

The two nodded, and, over on the bed, Ron groaned in his sleep. Hermione looked over at him worriedly.

"He will live." I said. As I spoke, the Horcrux around my neck gave a throb, and I looked down at it. "Shut it, you. I wasn't talking to you."

Hermione gave a nervous giggle as she glanced at the Horcrux. I'd taken it from them the moment I arrived, wanting to save them from it's corruptive influence. They had no reason to have to suffer it, and my wearing it would hide it from anyone who could sense it.

"I still can't believe you can understand it." Harry said, looking at it.

"It's a soul - or at least part of one. Of course I can understand it." I replied, staring at his scar, and he shrank away from me as the piece of Voldemort's soul insisde him reacted.

I smiled and turned away, grabbing a book.

"I don't get it, Dean," Harry said. "One moment I'm okay with you, the next, I'm terrified of you."

I thought quickly. "It's not you Harry, it's Tom, looking through you, who is so afraid of me."

"Can he see us now?" Harry asked, looking worried.

"No. I sent him away. He won't look again in a hurry." I replied. He looked relieved and turned his attention to Ron, who had passed out again.

"Dean." Harry's voice broke the silence in the tent.

"Mm?"

"Can you go back to Grimmauld Place - you know, just to check on Kreacher again? I want to make sure he's completely safe. I can't stand the thought of the Death Eaters getting to him and torturing him."

"Of course, Harry." I stood and Hermione walked to me and grabbed the locket around my neck.

"Give it here, one of us will wear it while you're gone."

I nodded and slipped it off, handing it to her, and Harry slipped it around his neck as she passed it to him. Everything vanished silently around me as I whisked myself off to Grimmauld Place, to where Kreacher was pottering around in the living room, fluffing up the cushions and cleaning.

"Oh!" he said, strartled. "Master Dean, Kreacher did not see you come in."

"Are you alright, Kreacher?"

"Oh yes, Kreacher is just fine."

"Are you sure? None of the Death Eaters have come in, have they?"

"Oh no, Kreacher did as you asked and sealed the house against all but yourself, Masters Harry and Ronald, and Mistress Hermione."

"Good," I replied. "I do not know how long we will be away for, but I do know it shall be many months before Harry and the others can return to this house."

"Then Kreacher shall keep this house tidy and clean for them when they return." the small elf declared, thumping his chest with a fist.

I smiled at him. "You are a good elf, Kreacher. Harry is very proud of you. I will see you soon."

Leaving the elf with happy tears swimming in his eyes, I took myself off where the wizard Gregorovitch was about to be killed by Tom Riddle. Standing nearby, invisible, I swung my scythe, freeing Gregorovitch's soul from it's mortal vessel forever. He immediately flew on, to reach his ultimate destination and to be reborn. Tom stood, glaring coldly down at the body then looked up and through me. I did not show myself, not yet. No, I would bide my time, and then show myself when he was at his weakest. Then, and only then, would I reveal myself to truly terrify Tom Riddle, the way he had terrified countless innocent people over the years. I knew how to scare, too.

I arrived back at the tent to find the trio were all fast asleep. I flicked my hand at their blankets, covering them securely to keep them warm as the night would be cold, then sat outside the tent, conjuring a fire - not for myself, but in case any of the others woke in the night and came out for some air. The fire was to keep them warm.

Harry woke in the early hours, and seemed surprised to see me awake.

"Morning, Dean." he said, keeping his voice low as to not wake the other two.

Good morning, Harry." I replied, watching as he gripped Alastor's magical eye in his hand. "Giving Alastor his final send off, are we?"

"Yeah." he admitted, walking out. I watched as he walked to the oldest, and most gnarled tree he could find, then buried the eye by its roots, then carved a cross in the bark of the tree with his wand. He came back to the tent, and I heard him moving around inside. He soon came outside with two steaming mugs of tea. I thanked him as I took mine and downed the burning liquid in one, then coughed as it burnt my throat. I stared at the cup curiously. I had never been burned before. Pain was a new sensation to me, and I didn't like it much, so I wiped it away, my throat feeling better immediately.

"Alright?" asked a concerned Harry.

"I'm fine."

He nodded, and Ron and Hermione soon awoke, and talk turned to our current location.

"Well, we can't stay here for long." Harry said. Hermione agreed.

"I'll go anywhere, on the condition that wherever we go is somewhere near a bacon sandwich." Ron interjected. Our plan in mind, Hermione rose and took down the enchantments, and, with a wave of my hand, I erased all traces of us having been in the clearing. The trio Disapparated to the outskirts of Petersfield, a small market town. I swiftly followed, first checking we were not followed. Harry immediately ventured out under his Cloak to find food, only to return empty handed some time later, out of breath and barely able to speak a word, simply mouthing one word. Dementors.

"But you can make a brilliant Patronus!" Ron protested.

"Couldn't. . .make. . one." Harry panted out, clutching his side. "Wouldn't. . .come."

The other two looked disappointed, but I, sensing the Horcrux still around his neck, was not at all surprised. The Horcrux was exerting its influence on him, preventing him from thinking of a happy memory to produce a Patronus with.

"So we still haven't got any food." Ron commented grumpily.

I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, Ron." Hermione snapped, throwing Harry a concerned glance. "What happened, Harry? Why do you think you couldn't conjure your Patronus? You managed perfectly yesterday."

"I don't know." Harry replied, sounding defeated.

Ron kicked a chair leg angrily.

"What?" he snarled at Hermione."I'm starving! All I've had since I bled half to death is a couple of toadstools!"

"You go get some food then, Ron." I replied, annoyed. I knew he was hungry and grumpy, but he was taking it out on all the wrong people. For lack of a better word, I was pissed.

"I would, but my arm's in a sling in case you haven't noticed!"

"You have another arm, do you not? It works perfectly well. Go get food and stop having a go at Harry and Hermione. They're doing everything they can to take care of you. You don't like it, fuck off back to your mother."

Harry and Hermione stared at me in shock. I'd never sworn before, but then again, I hadn't felt this angry before, not at one of them.

"Of course!" Hermione suddenly cried, startling the other two and causing Ron to close his open mouth and still his coming retort to me. "Harry, give me the locket!"

Harry stared at her.

"Come on, give it here," she said, snapping her fingers in his face. "The Horcrux, Harry, you're still wearing it!"

Harry lifted it over his head, and you could visibly see the weight of the locket lift off him; he looked happier, more relaxed.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yeah, loads!" he said, smiling.

"Harry," she said, crouching down in front of him and speaking gently, as though he were sick. "You don't think you've been possessed, do you?"

As Harry denied it, and explaiend he could remember everything he was doing, I apologised to Ron, saying I had simply had enough of his taking things out on the wrong people. He offered a muttered apology, explaining he was unused to going hungry. I could understand that, after eating Molly's meals, my stomach was also grumbling from lack of food, but I kept pushing it aside. I was not human and did not need sustenance to keep me alive.

Hermione finally settled on slipping the Horcrux around her own neck, after Harry protested to leaving it lying around in case a Death Eater came along and stole it. After some debate, we all spent the night in the field of a lonely farm, from which Hermione took bread and eggs, leaving money in the chicken house for them. Ron scarfed his food as though he had not been fed in weeks. I smiled and said nothing.

The weeks passed, and Harry would wince every now and then in pain as his scar flared up, and each time Ron would pounce, asking what he had seen, each time disappointd by Harry's reply that it was just the face from Gregorovtich's memories. The golden haired thief, Grindelwald, I knew, but they needed to find out themselves.

One autumn night, as we were all sat in the tent, the trio eating some pike Harry had caught and that Hermione had done her best to cook, myself sat silently observing, Ron spoke up, saying his mother could make food appear from thin air. Hermione explaiend that simply wasn't possible, that Gamp's Law stated that it simply wasn't possible to create food from nothing. The two had an argument over Hermione's cooking, whereupon Hermione stood, angrily and told Ron he could damn well do the cooking tomorrow night. I suddenly stood with Harry. He too, had heard the noise outside. Listening in, the trio using Extendable Ears, myself walking out, invisible, we dicovered that the noise was made by Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Dean Thomas, and two goblins, Gornuk and Griphook. I listened as the goblins laughed as they made jokes about the sword of Gryffindor. I stood by them, watching as they ate and drank, never once revealing myself. I walked back to the tent, just as the trio heard that the sword had been taken to Gringotts by Severus - and that that sword was a complete phony. After they pulled the Ears from their own ears, they spoke to Phineas Nigellus, who was most reluctant to offer any information, but eventually told them the information they needed to know. Harry and Hermione were beside themselves with excitement. Ron, by direct contrast, looked moody and sullen. The other two turned to him to include him in their joy and he looked up.

"Finally noticed, have you? I'm not bloody invisible anymore?"

"What's the problem?" asked a perplexed Harry.

"Problem? There's no problem. Not according to you, anyway." Ron said, staring up at the roof of the tent.

A steady rain began to fall, and the tension in the tent peaked. I'd sensed it coming for a while, but said nothing. All this needed to be said; they had to get it out of their systems.

The two began arguing, Ron saying he haad expected Harry to have at least some idea what he was doing, Harry retorting that he'd heard the two of them talking about him, known they were speaking about him and not wanting him to know.

"It's alright for you two," Ron said, raising his voice now as the rain poured down harder and harder."Your parents safely out of the way -"

"My parents are DEAD!" Harry yelled.

"And mine could be going the same way!" Ron yelled back.

"Then GO!" Harry roared loudly. "Go back home and pretend you've got over your Spattergroit, go back to Mummy who'll feed you up and then you can leave us out here, risking our lives to end this war once and for all!"

Ron made a sudden movement, Harry did the same, but before either of them could move, Hermione cast a Shield Charm between them, preventing them from either attacking or reaching one another, and the two glared at one another through the shield.

"Leave the Horcrux." Harry said quietly.

Ron wrenched it from his neck and tossed it aside.

He looked towards Hermione, who looked stricken.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she replied, confused.

"Are you staying, or what?"

She looked anguished, torn between her best friend and the young man she so desperately loved.

"I. . .Yes - yes, I'm staying. we said we'd stay, from the start - to - to help Harry, and. . ."

"I see," Ron said coldly. "You choose him."

He swept out of the tent.

"RON!" Hermione screamed, tearing after him. There was a deadly, awkward silence in the tent as Harry glared around, finding me, then looking away. Hermione returned, soaked, moments later, sobbing.

"He's - he's gone!"

She threw herself onto her bunk, sobbing desperately. Harry picked up the Horcrux, then threw a blanket over the sobbing young woman, then climed onto his own bunk and lay there, his mind reeling at what had just happened. As for me, I extinguished the fire outside, not that I needed much help with the pouring rain, then I went inside, sat down, and started reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard for the millionth time.


	19. Chapter 19

A few days passed, and Hermione was still in tears over Ron, while Harry refused to speak of, or about him, despite my attempts to ask what the two thought Ron would be doing. Harry's only reply was a scathing remark on how he was probably at home with Mummy, at which point Hermione walked out, sobbing. I soon noticed that, as far as they were concerned, it was like I was not there. They both seemed to look right through me, and, somewhere inside, I felt sorrow. It was not my fault Ron had left.

Finally, giving up one day, I got up and took myself off to where I sensed Ron, to find he was not there. He must have moved as I was travelling.

I turned to walk off to look for him, when a group of men up.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one grinned.

I looked them all up and down, realising what I was dealing with. Snatchers.

"Can I help you?" I ask cooly, trying to walk by.

"Yes, actually." the man said, putting an arm out and pushing me back. "You can come with us. You know the rules around here - no one goes out after curfew - and this is most certainly after curfew."

"I was not aware of any such rule." I replied, knowing he was lying. There was no curfew at all.

He grabbed me. "Look, you little runt -"

"Fenrir Greyback, you will unhand me right this instant, or I will not be held responsible for what happens next." I spoke calmly, pushing aside the anger that rose in me. How dare this wolf touch me!

Fenrir roared with laughter, for it was indeed he who was the leader of this particular gang of Snatchers.

"Hear him, lads? Now listen, you," he snarled, shoving his face near mine and breathing heavily, causing me to inhale his foul odor. "I am the boss around here, and -"

I looked him in the eyes and dropped my disguise.

The other men stepped back, and fear filled Fenrir's eyes. "Not you!" he moaned, letting go of me immediately and attempting to step back, only to stumble and fall over my scythe, which I had stuck out purposely.

"I cannot wait until your time, Fenrir." I said pleasantly. "I have such fun in store for you. . ."

He gave a very animal like yelp and fled. The men followed, screaming. I chuckled to myself and walked off, now invisible and soon found myself at Shell Cottage once more. A steady, fine rain began to pour down, and within moments, I was soaked. Walking through the barriers that protected Shell Cottage, I walked up to the front door and knocked. The door opened, revealing Bill, who was surprised to see me stood on his doorstep.

"What are -" he began. I cut him off.

"It's very wet out here. Are you going to let me in?"

Looking bewildered, he stood aside to let me pass.

"I don't know why you didn't just walk in. It's not like you need an invitation. . .Death."

I dropped my disguise and turned to tower over him and look him in the eyes.

"Would you rather I appeared suddenly, without a word of warning, William?"

He took a step back and shook his head wordlessly.

I reverted back to my human guise and smiled. "Good. Now. Where is Ron?"

Bill pointed upstairs and I walked up them, to find Ron idly flicking the Deluminator on and off. Sitting down by him, I watched him. For some time, he did not seem to have noticed I was there, until, finally tiring of the lights going on and off again, I reached out and took it from him. The effect was electric; he yelped and fell off the bed, then stood up quickly.

"Oi, what do you - oh, it's you."

"Hello, Ron." I said calmly, handing him his Deluminator.

"What're you doing here?" he asked sourly. "Thought you would have stayed with them."

"Oh, come off it, Ron!" I snapped. "You and I both know that the Horcrux was enhancing the very small thoughts and feelings you had been having, you didn't mean a single damn word you said."

He stared at me for a few moments, then, angrily, told me to get out.

"No," I said. "I quite like it here. I might stay."

"I said get out!" he roared, whipping his wand out.

By way of response, I dropped my guise and pulled out my scythe and his hourglass.

He froze immediately.

"Do you know how connected your kind are to these?" I asked, looking at his hourglass, keeping my gaze firmly away from him.

He gulped and shook his head.

"If I were to turn this upside down, your life would run backwards, and you would become a baby again. I suppose, if you want to look at it in a certain way, you could become immortal with this. However, it would only work if I were to do it. If you were to take hold of it, you would die instantly, as no one is meant to have their own time on them, to do with as they wish. You would have to be inhuman to be able to hold it."

"You mean," he gulped. "Like You-Know-Who?"

"Why yes, I dare say Tom could take his hourglass from me and hold it." I said, reverting back to being Dean once more and stashing his hourglass with the others with a small tinkle. "However, he would find himself dying very quickly."

"Why?" Ron asked, curious now, sinking back onto his bed.

"Because I have been trying to get to him for years now, and he knows it. The moment he took his hourglass from me, I swing my scythe, smash it, he dies. Of course, that is, provided that all his Horcruxes are destroyed."

Ron went quiet for a while.

"He doesn't love her, you know." I said. He looked up at me as Fleur and Bill walked in.

"Harry," I said. "He's not in love with Hermione. She hasn't 'chosen' him at all. She just sticks to her promises, and she promised Harry that the two of you would go with him to find the Horcruxes."

"I know." he muttered.

"Then why did you go off at her like she had stayed with him on purpose, you foolish boy?" I cried, exasperated with him now.

"Because I was angry, alright?" he shouted back, on his feet now.

Suddenly, on the wind, I heard her, singing to herself.

"Dean?" Ron asked, looking at me as I froze, turning to the window.

"I have to go." I said, vanishing, leaving the three of them to stare at one another. Ron could wait. He would return to the other two, this I knew. For now, I had to get to Luna!

Arriving in a cold, dark and spacious room, I heard Luna humming and singing to herself. No, I knew now it wasn't to herself. There were two more life forces in the room with her. Garrick Ollivander was also with her, along with the goblin, Griphook. Above us, I sensed Tom Riddle and his followers in a large room, probably the dining room. I knew where I was now. Malfoy Manor.

"Luna!" I called. The singing stopped.

"Dean?" she asked, sounding a little unsure.

"Yes, it's me."

I heard footsteps, and then I saw her. She was grubby, her hair was a mess and she had cuts on her face, as though she had been struck by something or someone.

"Dean!"

Suddenly, her arms were around me, and her head was buried in my shoulder.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt?" I asked, genuinely worried about her. I didn't know why I should be worried about her over everyone else, only that I was, very much so.

"Oh yes, I'm fine." she said, smiling.

"Luna, I cannot stay long. I just heard you singing, and I had to come see where you were. I knew you were not at Hogwarts because I do not think Severus would allow singing."

She gave another smile and I felt something shift inside me. "No, I'm not at Hogwarts. I was on my way there when the Death Eaters stopped the train and brought me here. I've been here ever since."

From my pocket, unbidden, the blank hourglass suddenly rose and hovered between the two of us. Now I knew why I had got it. I was meant to give it to Luna. I would find out why later, this I knew.

"Luna." I said, looking her in the eyes. "I want you to take this and take very special care of it."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It is an hourglass, one that usually would hold the time of a living person. However, this one is very special. As you can see it is blank."

"Why?" she said, looking at it curiously.

"I do not know," I admitted. "It has been with me for as long as I can remember."

"A long time, then." she smiled.

I smiled back and pressed it into her hands.

"Promise me you will take care of it."

"I promise." she replied, putting it in her pocket.

"I have to go now." I said. She rose on tiptoe and kissed me. She then skipped off, and I soon heard her singing to Garrick and Griphook once more.

I felt a blush come to my cheeks as I thought of her kissing me again. Shaking it off, I took myself back to the tent, to where Harry and Hermione seemed surprised to see me; neither had noticed I had gone.

The weeks passed and Christmas drew nearer and nearer. As we moved from place to place, Harry and Hermione finally seemed to realise I was there, a person, company - someone they could speak to, and they took to including me in all their conversations, all of which were about the Sword of Gryffindor and its whereabouts. Hermione timidly suggested that perhaps I, being Death, would know something about it.

"Hermione, I'm Death. The Sword of Gryffindor was never even a blip on my radar." I replied, taking a sip of hot tea that Harry had just brewed for the three of us.

She looked down, back at the book in her hands. She'd taken to poring over The Tales of Beedle the Bard for some time now, hoping beyond hope that Albus had left some sort of code. I had watched her read, time and again, The Tale of the Three Brothers, and each time, she had looked up to ask me about it, but seemed to think better of it - after all, to her, these were just stories.

Harry cleared his throat.

"Hermione, I've been thinking -"

"Harry, could you help me with something?" she asked, turning to him, not hearing a word he had said.

The conversation they had after that was of Grindelwald's mark, which I knew to be the sign of the Deathly Hallows. A plan in mind at last, a week later, Harry and Hermione took a gulp of Polyjuice Potion each, transforming into two innocent Muggles, and the three of us went off to Godric's Hollow.


	20. Chapter 20

As Harry, Hermione and I walked through the snow filled streets of Godric's Hollow, I was more aware than ever of the blank hourglass I had given Luna. Even I had no idea what it was for. I hadn't told Luna that the hourglass had been with me as long as I could remember for nothing - it had simply appeared the day I Harvested my first soul. All I had ever been told by other powers was that it was special, and to keep it safe. Right now, I could think of no safer place than with Luna.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered from under the cloak. "I think it's Christmas Eve!"

No, really? You mean the carols coming from the church and the Christmas trees all lit up around us didn't give it away?

"Would you two come out from under the Cloak already? No one's going to know it's you." I pointed out. Harry pulled the Cloak off them and stashed it in his pocket. We made our way to the graveyard by the church and I stopped. There were a few souls lingering by their graves, looking a little lost and confused. I walked over to one, Harry and Hermione following, looking a little confused themselves at my purposeful stride.

"You can't be here." I told the man, who was looking down at his grave, looking lost as he read his name and date of death over and over again. He didn't seem to hear me.

"You're the one who walked over here!" Hermione argued.

"Not you!" I told her, irritably. I reached out and tapped the man on his shoulder, and he turned slowly, looking at me.

"Yes. . .?" his voice was less than a whisper.

"You can't be here." I told him, speaking gently now, unerstanding that somehow, this man had changed his mind halfway through moving on and had got stuck by his grave.

"But. . . I need to tell her."

"You need to tell who what?"

"I need to tell my great-great granddaughter about the money under the floorboard in her bedroom."

"Where is your granddaughter?"

He pointed at the church behind me, from where the carols were being sung with heart and soul. Joy radiated from the church and I smiled despite myself.

I turned to Harry and Hermione. "You two, get under the Cloak."

"Dean, we haven't time for this! We have to find the Sword so we can destroy the Horcruxes!" Harry protested.

I had started to walk towards the church, but now I wheeld on him, my eyes flashing.

"Listen to me, Harry James Potter. That man over there by his grave, and that woman there, and that small boy there," I said, pointing to each one in turn. "They are all lost. The Horcruxes can go bollocks right now for all I care. Tom Riddle's soul had been this way for fifty years. I'm sure it won't hurt to wait a few minutes longer. Now get your ass under that Cloak before I really get mad!"

I turned and strode purposefully towards the church, altering my appearance as I did so, to that of an old man. walking inside the church, I was struck by the light and sound as people sung hymns and laughed together. I immediately spotted the people I was looking for.

"Excuse me." I called over the music. "Bertha! Your grandfather wants a word with you! Amy, your son needs you, it's urgent! Jason! Your wife wants to tell you something important!" Putting a small 'follow me' catch to my voice, as I had done many a time before when leading mortals to a family member, I added, "Come with me!"

Turning and leaving, I was pleased to see them following me, looking a little confused.

I took Bertha to her grandfather, and she cried out in shock to see his spirit stood, smiling faintly at her. Jason and Amy were the same when they saw their loved ones.

"They're trapped here, trapped until they can give you their messages." I told the shocked trio. Soon, the messages were passed on, and the three of them left back to the church, and as soon as their backs were turned, I reverted back to Dean, and became invisible as hey turned to look back.

"He's gone!" Jason said in a hoarse whisper.

"That man must have been an angel!" Bertha said, sounding tearful. The three of them closed the doors behind them and I smiled, my job done. I turned to the three spirits, who all smiled at me before vanishing in a soft haze of light.

"What was that?" Hermione's voice caught in her throat. "That light."

"They moved on." I replied simply.

"Where to?" Harry asked, curious.

"To where ever they're meant to go." I said, walking away amongst the graves. Harry and Hermione took my silence as a cue to follow, both of them soon finding graves with 'Abbot' on them.

"Yes, Hannah's ancestor's came from here." I confirmed. They soon found many a grave with names on them from people they knew at Hogwarts. Finally, Hermione gave a cry, thinking she had found Harry's parent's graves, when in fact, it belonged to the youngest of the three Brothers, Ignotus. Engraved on his grave was the mark of the Hallows. Despite Hermione's many readings of the tale, she didn't seem to put two and two together as I had expected her to. Then again, she probably thought it just a mere story. I stood by Lily and James' graves, then gave a small cough. Hermione walked over, followed by Harry, and Harry stood and stared, then silent tears dripped down his face. until now, he had never truly grieved. Hermione raised her wand and drew a circle in the air, causing a Christmas wreath. I raised my hand and a boquet of lilies appeared. I placed them on the grave, too.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione, Dean." Harry said, sniffing and wiping his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Harry." Hermione replied, hugging him. I said nothing, simply stared around the graveyard, wondering what had suddenly caught my attention.

Soon after, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and realised this was what had caught my attention. I sensed Nagini nearby, and wondered if Harry did, too. The three of us kept moving, until we finally came across the ruins of Harry's fomer home, which had been turned into some kind of shrine. Despite my protests, the other two were now back under the Cloak once more, and they stood and stared at the ruined house, Harry staring, drinking in every detail, while Hermione looked awed more than anything. Another movement from the corner of my eye revealed Bathilda Bagshot staring at us. Well - Harry and Hermione. Then again, I knew it wasn't Bathilda at all, as I'd Harvested her soul quite some time ago. This was Nagini, inside a mortal corpse.

"How is she seeing us?!" Hermione hissed.

Well, if you haven't worked it out yet, then I'm not going to bother saying anything.

I rolled my eyes as Harry followed 'Bathilda' to 'her' home, which was a disgusting mess. Nagini tried getting the body to strike a match with which to light a candle, but failed miserably. Harry took it from her and lit the candle himself. I shook my head in disbelief. They knew this woman was a witch - did they not wonder why she was not using a wand?!

Nagini moved past us into another room.

"Come!"

Hermione jumped and clung onto me, as Harry was a little way away from us and I looked at her.

"Sorry," she muttered, letting go. "Startled me."

As Harry walked upstairs with Bathilda, I smiled at her.

"Why? The hissing?"

She gasped. "You heard it, too?"

"Yes," I said. "But then again, I'm not a Parselmouth."

Hermione gasped.

"You mean -"

"Nagini."

"Oh no, Harry!" she cried, darting for the stairs. I followed at a leisurely pace, shaking my head.

Upstairs, we found Harry being attacked by Nagini. Hermione dived aside with a shriek as the huge serpent saw fresh meat and went for her, too. I had told Hermione I wasn't a Parselmouth. However, I could understand snakes, as I could all creatures.

"Stop!" I commanded her in a hiss. In shock, perhaps at having being spoken to so forcefully, Nagini did indeed stop for a moment.

"You can speak Parseltongue?!" Harry hissed in surprise.

I nodded and turned my attentions back to Nagini, who was giving me an evil look.

"You disturbed me." she hissed, lunging for me. I immediately dropped the disguise, causing her to go right through me and smack heavily into the wall behind me. I glided to where Harry was lunging for Hermione, who was on the bed, looking terrified. She shrieked in pain as he yanked her backwards, away from the oncoming threat. The two were soon separated; I was like a person watching a film in the theatre, watching all this, yet unaffected by it. Every time I tried to step in, Nagini would evade me, and I could not risk transforming back into Dean, no, if Nagini damaged my human guise, then I would have to make a new one, which would be too confusing and too time consuming. No, I would have to stay as I was for now.

"Confringo!" Hermione screamed. Her spell smashed around the room, destroying everything it hit, including the window.

"He's coming!" Harry shouted. "Hermione, he's coming!"

He grabbed her and dove out of the window with her; she screamed as Tom Riddle burst into the room, to the window from which they had vacated, screaming with rage as the two Disapparated.

He turned, angrily, to where Nagini was pulling herself free of the wreckage.

"Nagini, what happened? You were to hold Potter, hold him until I arrived!"

"I tried. Tried, but there was another with him, as you just saw. She used magic against me. If not for her, he would now be dead, and you would be free at last." she replied. I looked between the two, then disguised myself once more and appeared in front of the two of them.

Tom jumped back, turning his wand to me.

"Who are you!" he demanded. "Speak!"

"I am of no importance to you right now, Tom Marvolo Riddle." I replied. His red eyes dilated in shock.

"How do you know of my name?! Tell me! Crucio!"

I stared at him, the spell not affecting me in the slightest.

"What?" he gasped. "Impossible!"

I gave a small smile. He had no idea just how impossible.

"You'll soon find out, who I am, Tom. But not yet though." I said, turning to leap out of the hole where the window had previously been.

"Wait!"

I kept walking.

"I said wait! Avada Kedavra!" The spell smacked into me, and I turned, angry now.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Tom?!" I demanded, stepping angrily towards him.

He stepped back, fear evident in his face now. No one had ever so blatantly survived the Killing Curse - not in front of him anyway.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

I dropped my disguise on half of my face, revealing a bare, grinning skull on that half, and he took another step backwards, stumbing over Nagini.

I smiled and vanished, and I was rewarded by his look of fear. Some part of him knew who I was, but the rest of him refused to accept it. I couldn't be real - wouldn't be real! He had conquered me where no one else had!

He had no idea that was the very reason I was after him. No one conquered me and got away with it.

I arrived back at the tent to find Harry covered in sweat, unconscious on his bed, moaning and screaming. At one point, he even screamed like a child - a one year old child. Hermione was wiping the sweat off him with a small sponge she had either found or conjured.

"You're back," she said, relieved. "You took your time."

"Sorry, Herm. Had a run in with Tom, didn't I?"

"Are you okay?" she gasped.

"Oh, I'm fine. I put a little bit of fear onto Tom though."

She gave a small smile, then threw a worried look at Harry as he screamed once more, this time like a woman.

"What's happening to him?" she cried.

"If you like, Herm, I can show you." I said.

"You can do something like that?" she ased, looking at me.

"Oh yes, there's quite a lot I can do. I just tend. . .not to."

"Then do it." she replied immediately.

I walked over to Harry and knelt down by him and placed a hand on his sweat coverd forehead, and took Hermione's hand with the other, and then began tapping away, little by little, until I reached the connection between Harry and Tom.

Immediately, Hermione and I were thrust into Tom's memory of what happened the night Lily and James Potter died.

After around ten seconds of watching the harrowing memory, Hermione pulled back, sobbing. I pulled out of the memory, too, having been there the night it happened.

"H-how can he go through that?!" she sobbed. "Harry, wake up!"

Harry simply moaned again as the memory continued to overwhelm him.

It was several hours before he finally began to come to.

"No. . ." he moaned. "No. . .no. . ."

"Harry, it's alright, you're alright!" Hermione said, going closer to him.

"No. . .I dropped it. . .I dropped it. . ."

"Harry, it's OK, wake up, wake up!"

Harry opened his eyes.

"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Do you feel all - all right?"

"Yes." he said,obviously lying. Neither Hermione nor myself had the heart to call him out on it, however.

"We got away." he said, looking round at the tent.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I had to use a Hover Charm to get you into your bunk, because I couldn't lift you. You've been . . . well, you haven't been quite. . ."

Harry stared at her.

"You've been ill," she finished eventually. "Quite ill."

That was probably the understatement of the century, right there.

"How long ago did we leave?" he asked.

"Hours ago," I replied. "It's almost morning."

Harry apologised to the two of us for having put us in danger. I brushed it off, and Hermione asked if Nagini had killed Bathilda and then attacked Harry, Harry revealed that Bathilda had actually been Nagini, occupying her corpse.

"The snake was inside her?" Hermione said, revolted.

"Bathilda died around three months ago." I said suddenly. They both looked to me.

"Three months? Then how long has V - You-Know-Who had Nagini inside her body for?" Harry said.

"I don't know." I replied.

"Lupin said there would be magic we'd never imagined," Harry went on. "She didn't want to talk in front of you, because it was Parseltongue, all Parseltongue, and I didn't realise, but of course, I could understand her. Once we were up in the room, she sent a message to You-Know-Who, I heard it happen inside my head, I felt him get all excited, he told her to keep me there. . .and then. . ." he fell quiet, remembering. "She changed, changed into the snake and attacked. It wasn't supposed to kill me, just keep me there until he arrived."

He suddenly sat up and threw back the covers.

"Harry, no, you need to rest!" Hermione protested.

"You're the one who needs sleep. No offence, but you look terrible. I'm fine, I'll keep watch for a while. Where's my wand?"

Hermione immediately fell silent.

"Where's my wand Hermione?" he repeated.

She bit her lip, tears swimming in her eyes. She'd not stopped blaming herself for his wand being broken, when it wasn't actually her fault, he'd not been holding it properly in the room when her spell went off, blowing up half the room.

"Where's my wand?"

She reached down and handed it him, the wand was almost broken in two. A fragile strand of phoenix feather held the two pieces together. He stared at it, a multitude of emotions playing across his face, then he handed it to Hermione.

"Mend it. Please."

"Harry, I don't think, when it's broken like this -"

"Please, Hermione! Try!" he said desperately, panic evident in his voice.

"R-Reparo"

The two halves of the wand came together and became whole once more, but, looking at it, I knew it was nowhere near enough. The fragile strand of feather wasn't enough, the magic was almost spent in the wand. I could, of course, mend it easily with my scythe, but Harry had a destiny to become 'Master of Death' as it was called. He must come to understand that dying was nothing to fear, he must obtain the Elder Wand. Then he could repair his wand, but until then, he would have to suffer just a little more.

"Lumos!" The wand lit up, giving a feeble light, then went out. He pointed his wand at Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!"

Her wand jerked a little in her hand, but otherwise did not move. Harry's wand split in half, and I saw the magic in the wand was even lower than before. He could not use his wand again, and if he tried to, I was going to have to stop him.

Harry stared, aghast at his broken wand.

"Harry," Hermione said in a whisper so low that I knew Harry could barely hear her. "I'm so, so sorry. I think it was me. As we were leaving, you know, the snake was coming for us, and so I cast a Blasting Curse, and it rebounded everywhere. It must have - must have hit -"

"It was an accident." Harry said, almost mechanically. "We'll - we'll find a way to repair it."

"Harry, I don't think we're going to be able to," Hermione said, the tears trickling down her face now. "Remember. . .remember Ron? When his wand broke, crashing the car? It was never the same again, he had to get a new one."

Harry was silent.

"Well," he said suddenly, in a very false matter-of-fact voice. "I'll just borrow yours for now then. While I keep watch."

Her face streaming tears, Hermione wordlessly handed her wand over, and Harry walked outside.

I looked between the two, from Harry, who was sat outside, to Hermione, who was sobbing quietly, busying herself with making three mugs of tea, one for each of us, and I sighed.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I thought all of this human lark was a bit too much.


	21. Chapter 21

I followed Harry outside, to where he sat, digging his nails into his palm.

I said nothing for a few moments, but as I was opening my mouth, Hermione came out with the mugs of tea. Harry accepted his gratefully.

"Thanks." he said.

"Harry, do you mind if I talk to you?"

"No." he said. It was evident to me from looking at Harry that he did not blame Hermione at all for the loss of his wand, but was simply upset as he had been banking on the protection of the wand's twin core against Tom when the two finally met.

"Harry, you wanted to know who the man in the picture was. Well. . .I've got the book."

Saying this, she pushed a prstine copy of The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore into his lap, and he gaped at it.

"Where - how -?"

Hermione explained she had found it in Bathilda's sitting room, with a note from Rita Skeeter sticking out of it. The note was addressed to Bathilda, telling her that she had said everything in the book, even if she did not remember it.

Hermione timidly asked Harry if he was still angry at her; Harry explained that, were it not for her, he would be dead, and she gave a small smile.

The two were shocked to find Albus had been best friends with Gellert Grindelwald in his younger years, and I glanced at the book Harry had in his arms, reading it with the two of them, of Rita's account on what really happened to Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore. Inside the book was a letter from Albus to Gellert, about doing things 'For the Greater Good.' It went on to finish, at the end of the current chapter, by saying 'Is it possible that Ariana Dumbledore was the first person to die 'for the Greater Good?'

Silence fell after the chapter, but not for long. Harry and Hermione soon got into a heated argument over Albus' true reasons for all this, Harry exclaiming angrily that all he had ever been asked to do was blindly trust and do things, risk his life over and over again. Finally, he dismissed Hermione, who left to go back inside the tent.

Harry glanced at me, still angry with Albus. Come midnight, it was snowing softly, and Hermione took over the watch with me, and Harry went to bed.

Hermione busied herself with re-reading Hogwarts: A History, while I busied myself with wondering whether Luna was alright.

Some time later, Harry awoke, and came to the tent mouth. Hermione told him that she had heard, and though she had seen, someone moving around outside the enchantments. We took off to a new location half an hour later, arriving in a large wooded area.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking around.

"The Forest of Dean," Hermione replied. "I came here once with mum and dad."

That night, we camped inside the tent, the other two huddled up around a jar of bluebell flames for warmth, and I realised that I, too, was beginning to feel a slight chill. I was a little concerned, as cold had never bothered me before, and instantly slipped out of my guise, staying visible to the other two.

Hermione glanced up and shrieked in shock as she saw all seven foot of me sat in the chair.

"Oh, sorry," I said. "My body was beginning to feel a slight chill."

"Why didn't you come over here, then?!" Hermione demanded.

"You don't understand, Hermione. I'm not meant to feel cold, or heat. Ever."

"Oh, just get over here already!"

I flew over to them.

"Not like that!" she said, looking positively alarmed.

I shifted back to being Dean once more and sat down beside them, only to notice that the cold was no longer bothering me at all, but still strangely grateful for the warmth of the flames. Just what was going on?

Three nights later, Harry told Hermione to get some sleep, saying he would take the watch for that night.

I followed him outside, to where he looked round sharply at every sound.

I ducked back inside the tent for a moment, and when I came back out, Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"Fod goodness sake's Harry. . ." I muttered, rushing off to find , I stopped dead, as I felt an hourglass shaking. Shifting back to my true form, I took the hourglass out.

"I thought it was you." I said, looking at it. The hourglass was cracked in several places and only had a small part of sand inside it. I say 'sand' loosely, it was, of course, actually the person's Time. I smiled as I looked to the name engraved on the bottom of the hourglass. Tom Marvolo Riddle. The glass was split into sections, each one for a Horcrux. If I was right, and I knew I was, the locket was about to be destroyed. I had to be there.

I flew off at top speed, arriving as Ron stood before the locket with the Sword of Gryffindor, looking nervous.

"Hello." I greeted them. Ron gave a cry of shock, looking even more nervous to see me there.

I held up my scythe and pointed at the locket.

"I'm here for the piece of soul that lies inside there."

He immediately looked a little calmer, just as Harry spoke in Parseltongue to the locket, which erupted open.

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine." the locket hissed.

"Don't listen, Ron, stab it!" Harry yelled.

The locket continued to hiss out everything that Ron had ever feared, every little thing. The climax was of smoky versions of Harry and Hermione appearing from within the locket, taunting Ron, and finally, the two of them intertwined their bodies with a kiss. This seemed to be the breaking point for Ron; he dashed forward and swung the sword at the locket. At the last second, as the sword hit, I swung my scythe, severing the piece of Tom Riddle's soul from it's metal cage. There was a scream that seemed to echo, and then. . . silence. I looked down at the hourglass in my hand and was pleased to see that one of the cracks was missing, and there was a little more Time in the hourglass - in the bottom, that is. Soon, all the Horcruxes would be gone, and Tom Riddle's death would be imminent.

Once Harry had explained to Ron that Hermione was like a sister to him; had always been like a sister to him, and he a brother to her, we made our way back to the tent, to where Hermione was still asleep.

"Hermione!" Harry called. "Hermione, wake up!"

She shot bolt upright. "Harry, what's going on, are you all right?"

"It's ok, everything's fine. More than fine. I'm great. There's someone here."

"What do you mean? Who -?"

She turned her head and saw Ron, who stood there, holding the Sword of Gryffindor in one hand and dripping water onto the carpet.

She walked towards him, her mouth slightly open in shock. Ron gave a weak smile and half raise his arms hopefully.

I smirked, stepping back, knowing what was to come.

She yanked his rucksack from him as he went to put it down and began pummeling him as hard as she could with it. I winced.

"You - complete - ARSE - Ronald Weasley!" she shrieked as she hit him.

"Ow - Hermione, gerroff!" he yelled.

Harry and I gave one another a helpeless look. Best to leave them to it - for now.

"Hermione, I'm sorry!"

"You come here after weeks - weeks - and you just say 'sorry'?!" she said incredulously. "You crawl back here after weeks and weeks - oh, where's my wand?!"

She turned on Harry, who had long since hidden her wand under a cushion.

"Where is my wand?!"

Harry backed off. She was starting to look positively demented.

"I don't have it!" he said.

"Harry Potter, you give me my wand!"

"Hermione, calm d-"

"Don't you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!" she screeched. "Don't you DARE! And YOU!" she suddenly screamed, spinning to glare and point at Ron, who practically whimpered as he took a few steps back. "I came running after you! I shouted you, called you! I begged you to come back!"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" he shouted back.

"Oh, you're sorry!" she gave a mad laugh. "You come here after weeks and say 'sorry' and that makes everything alright?!"

The argument continued in this vein for a short while longer, until Ron finally manged to get a real owrd in edgeways, and explained he'd tried coming back the moment he had left, but had run into Snatchers.

"Was Fenrir Greyback with them by any chance?" I spoke up.

"No," Ron said, giving me an odd look. "Why?"

"When I came to see you, Fenrir and some of his cronies set on me. I had to. . scare them off." I explained.

Ron winced, imagining exactly what I'd done to scare Fenrir.

Eventually, the argument simmered down as we all exchanged stories, and Hermione climbed into bed at last, followed shortly after by the boys, leaving me to once again pick up the Tales of Beedle the Bard, since I'd read all the other books Hermione had brought with us. Oddly enough, I found myself re-reading The Tale of the Three Brothers for the umpteenth time that night, followed by Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump. I remembered her, she'd been quite handful. She knew her own mind and gave me an earful when I'd given her the choice of whether to move on or stay in Limbo.

That night, Hermione spoke up as the boys were fiddling with a radio that Ron was trying to get to come up with a news channel he'd heard, that told news how it really was, unlike every other channel.

"We need to talk." she said, coming over with The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore once again.

"What?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"I want to go see Xenophilius Lovegood."

"Er - what?" Harry said, looking nonplussed.

"Luna's father. Xenophilius Lovegood. I want to go see him."

"Why?" asked a confused Harry.

"It's the mark," Hermione said. "The mark that was in Beedle the Bard, it's in here, look!" she thrust the book under his nose, and I peeked over to see the handwritten letter to Gellert from Albus, and where Albus had signed his name was a small sign of the Hallows in place of an A for the first letter of his name.

After a small argument over the mark and going to see Xenophilius, Ron, who was obviously trying to win brownie points with Hermione, offered a vote.

"All those in favour of going to see the Lovegoods -"

His hand shot immediately into the air, and Hermione's lips twitched despite herself. She then raised her hand and Ron clapped Harry on the back, smiling.

"Sorry, Harry, outvoted."

I kept quiet. Once again, I seemed to be completely invisible to the three of them, and this time I wasn't doing anything. Once again, the loneliness crept over me, and I shoved it off.

The next morning, we were all in Ottery St Catchpole, looking out over the village, looking towards The Burrow.

"It's weird, being this near but not going to visit." Ron said.

"Well it's not like you haven't seen them, you were there for Christmas." Hermione said coldly.

Ron laughed and explained he hadn't been there, he'd been with Bill andFleur at Shell Cottage, and how Bill wasn't best pleased with Ron for abandoning the others, but had said nothing to the rest of the family.

We walked for a few hours, and, finding nothing, Disapparated further north and finally found the Lovegood's home. Hermione rapped on the door once Harry had stowed his Cloak away, and barely ten seconds later, Xenophilius opened the door, and, after a couple of minutes chat, he reluctantly allowed us in. I thought it was very strange behaviour at first, before remembering where Luna was. The poor man was worried sick about her.

Five minutes later, he sat down with us after making us all a cup of tea made from Dirigible plums.

"Now," he said, moving a stack of papers aside. "how may I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, we were wondering," Harry said after an encouraging nod from Hermione. "whether you could tell us about the symbol you were wearing at Bill and Fleur's wedding, Mr. Lovegood. We wondered what it meant."

"Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?" Xenophilius asked, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

"The Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked, sounding confused. Neither Hermione nor Ron knew what it was either. I said not a word. I'd be talking enough once the story was told without chipping in questions I already knew the answers to.

"I assume you re all familiar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

Harry said no, but both Ron and Hemrione nodded. As Xenophilius looked around for a copy, Hermione went to reach into her bag, but I suddenly decided to speak up.

"No need, Xenophilius. I know the tale by heart."

"Oh?" he said, turning to me. "Then do tell."

"Alright." I said, and, taking a breath, I told the tale I knew so well, not only from reading, but from having being there myself.

"There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight-"

"Midnight, mum always told us." Ron interrupted, I gave him a sharp glare and he wisely shut up. I continued.

"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too deep to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their

wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when

they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them -"

This time it was Harry who interrupted me.

"Sorry, but Death spoke to them?"

I gave him an ever sharper look and said as sarcastically as I could, "Well, we all know that can't be possible, don't we, Harry?"

He coughed and went red, remembering just who he was speaking to.

I coughed, and, for the second time, continued with the tale.

"And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims,

for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate

the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever

enough to evade him. So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother. Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead. And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was

the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility."

"Y - Death's got a Cloak of Invisiblity?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah, so he can sneak up on people. Sometimes he gets bored of running up and shrieking, flapping his arms." Ron said with a grin.

I gave them both a look this time and mouthed 'shut up.'

I continued the tale once again.

"Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did

so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's so Death took the first brother for his own.

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself, so as to truly join her. And so Death took the second brother for his own. But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And the he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."

A silence followed the tale, until Xenophilius, who had been gazing out of a window, turned and spoke.

"There you are, then." he said.

Harry gave him a puzzled look, and he drew a piece of parchment towards himself and drew a vertical line upon it.

"The Wand," he said. He then drew a triangle around the line, so the line was going straight down the middle of the triangle. "The Cloak." Finally, he drew a circle inside the triangle. "The Stone. These three together make the Deathly Hallows."

After Hermione and Xenophilius had argued about the existence of the Hallows, and the identities of the brothers, Xenophilius left to go down to the kitchen, and the trio looked to me immediately.

"It's not true, is it? It's just a story, right?" Hermione asked me.

I shook my head.

"No, it's not true. That's not how it happened at all."

"Wait - so the story is real?" Ron said, goggling at me.

"Of course it is. Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus were the original owners of what you mortals call the Deathly Hallows."

"And my Cloak?" Harry asked.

I nodded.

"Originally, your Cloak was a scrap from my own Cloak. Over the centuries, after the brothers had died, I realised I was going to have to find the owner of the Cloak, if only to sap a small bit of the original magic from it to restore order to my own Cloak."

"And the Stone. . .?" Harry's voice was nearly a whisper now.

"Yes, the Stone exists. It was once part of the ring that Albus wore last year."

Harry opened his mouth to ask where it was, then suddenly realised and looked to the moleskin purse around his neck. I said nothing.

"And the Elder Wand?" Ron asked excitedly.

I swung my hand through the air and grabbed my scythe and pulled the Wand from it and they all gasped.

"This is the true Wand. The copy of it currently lies with Albus Dumbledore in his tomb."

"Woah. . ." said an awed Ron.

I smiled and put my scythe - and the Wand away again. Harry got up and had a look around, then started walking upstairs, his eyes focused on something. Hermione, Ron and I followed. We were in Luna's bedroom, and on the ceiling were six beautifully painted pitcures of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville. . . and me. The pictures were surrounded by a golden chain made up of the word 'friends' I felt a huge rush of affection for Luna, a beaming smile lit my face, and I look around her dark, cold bedroom, knowing where she was. I opened my mouth to explain to the others, when Xenophilius appeared with the tray, set for five once more. He froze, seeing where we were.

"Where is Luna, Mr. Lovegood?" Harry asked.

"I told you. She is down at the Bottom Bridge." he replied.

A few minutes later, Hermione handed Harry the latest Quibbler - which had Harry's picture from the Ministry. Undesirable Number One.

Xenophilius explained 'they' had taken Luna and would only give her back once he handed Harry over.

Hermione glanced out of the window and screamed as the Death Eaters arrived. The next few minutes were a blur of heat and excitement as a stray spell hit the Erumpent Horn and caused the entire house to explode. Before Disapparating, Hermione made sure that the Death Eaters saw Harry, so Xenophilius would not suffer any more than he already had.

Not even I, Death, had any way of knowing that soon, very soon, we would all be seeing Luna. I also had no way of knowing that Tom Riddle grew ever closer to taking the copy of the Elder Wand from Albus Dumbledore's cold, dead hands.


	22. Chapter 22

Once back in the tent, Harry was overcome with excitement at the thought of the Hallows actually existing. He took out his Cloak and examined it, then looked to me.

"So this was once a part of yours?" he asked.

In reply, I shifted back to my true self and took an edge of my own Cloak, which had long since become part of my hooded robes.

"Come, feel it." I said, beckoning them over.

"I just can't believe all this is real," Hermione said, shaking her head. "it's all just a fairy tale, how can it be real?"

"Hermione, think of whom you are speaking to," I said. "I'm not supposed to exist, yet here I stand. You mortals are, unfortunately, extremely close minded when it comes to things that may or may not exist."

She looked most put out when I said that.

"Do not misunderstand me, Hermione. I meant no offence, I speak only the truth."

She sat down as Harry continued to exclaim his excitement over the Hallows, exclaiming that the Resurrection Stone was in the Snitch Dumbledore had given him. I confirmed this by explaining that I had seen him do it myself.

"So. . .this is all real?" asked Hermione, who seemed to be having a hard time getting her head around all of this.

I walked outside the tent and came back with a stone I had found.

"Here," I said, handing it her. "that stone is now a one-time use Resurrection Stone."

"W-what?" she asked, almost dropping it in surprise.

"Turn it three times and think of someone who has died that you wish to see."

"Dumbledore!" Ron burst out immediately. I shook my head.

"No, Albus is still getting used to his death, it's too soon to call him back. Someone else."

"My parents?" Harry asked hopefully. Again, I shook my head.

"No. It's too soon."

"They've been dead years!" he protested.

I said nothing to him, instead, I looked at Hermione and said one word.

"Cedric."

"Cedric Diggory?! Why him?" Ron said.

"He is someone you know, and you will not think you are seeing things." I replied.

Looking uncertain, Hermione turned the stone three times. Cedric's spirit appeared immediately.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Sorry, Cedric. I was making a point to these three."

"Oh."

"Is that really you, Cedric?" Ron asked, awed.

"No, Ron, it's a bloody holographic projection that I rigged up while we were all at the Lovegood's." I snapped sarcastically.

Sadly, my sarcasm was wasted on Ron, who looked confused and asked what holographic projection was.

"Never mind," I sighed. "but now do you believe that the Stone works?"

All three nodded their heads.

"Good."

"Oh, Harry," Cedric said. "your mum, dad and godfather all say hi."

"They do?" asked an awed Hary.

Cedric nodded before fading away. I hadn't put much power into the Stone this time around, so it was only ever good for a short use.

"Where'd he go?" Ron asked.

I explained what had happened, and Harry began banging on about the Hallows again. Looks like he'd been bitten by the Questing bug.

Hermione and Ron soon calmed him down, and, at Ron's insistence, months passed as we continued to look for the Horcruxes.

Finally, one day, all of Harry's obsessions came to a head.

The four of us were sat listening to Potterwatch, the secret radio station Ron had been telling us all about for so long. Remus, Fred, George, and Lee were all on it, giving hope to all those who believed in Harry.

After the broadcast had ended, Harry began pacing excitedly.

"That's what he's after. You-Know-Who's after the Elder Wand."

"Of course he is." I muttered.

Hermione objected, and Harry turned.

"Come on, Hermione, why can't you admit it?! Vol -"

"HARRY, NO!" Ron yelled.

"-demort's after the Elder Wand!"

"I told you!" Ron yelled as a resounding crack outside announced the Snatchers. "I told you the name was Taboo! Now look!"

As the Snatchers yeleld for us all to come out, I silently vanished from mortal eyes and watched as the scene unfolded before me.

Fenrir and his cronies were back once again, and a sly smile crossed my face as he tied the others up to someone they'd already caught. Dean Thomas. Harry's face was unrecognisable now, thanks to Hermione's quick thinking with a Stinging Hex.

I snuck up behind Fenrir, who was eyeing Hermione with hunger in his eyes. I leaned in close to his ear.

"I'm watching you. . ." I whispered. The effect was electric. He leaped into the air, spun round with his wand out and swore loudly.

"Who was that?!" he roared. "Come out! Avada Kedavra!"

The spell caused the bush it hit to explode into flames and I grinned. It was quite fun spooking him, but for now, I had to step back to find out where he was taking Harry, Ron and Hermione.

I soon found out. One of the Death Eaters, a foul man who everyone called by his last name, Scabior, came running out of the tent holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, which contained a picture of Hermione - and gave her real name. Fenrir soon forgot his anger and fear and howled with delight at having caught Harry Potter - and took the three of them off to Malfoy Manor. I swiftly followed, just in time to see Bellatrix drag Hermione away as Harry and Ron were thrown into the dungeons, where I knew they would find Luna, Garrick and Griphook.

Bellatrix thought they had been into her vault, and so she tortured Hermione in a horrific display of savagery, carving the word 'Mudblood' into her arm with a small dagger. Hermione's agonized screams filled the room, and I only managed to stop myself from interfering by reminding myself that it was not my place to interfere with matters not related to Life and Death. She would live yet.

Finally, I could take no more of her screams of pain. I walked up behind Bellatrix, and, with all my strength, punched her in the side of the head. She took off, flying through the air to land on the floor. Getting up, she wiped the blood from the side of her head and looked around.

"Who did that?!" she screeched angrily. "Who dares interrupt me when I am interrogating this Mudblood?!"

You call that interrogation? You need to work on your people skills, lady.

I kept quiet, and she walked back over towards Hermione, who was trying her best not to sob from the pain. Sticking out my leg, Bellatrix was sent sprawling flat on her face. She jumped up again, and, looking at her, I suddenly realised that she had been the one to harm Luna, to cause the bruises and scars she had on her face. Anger flooded me, and I floored her with a punch.

"And stay down, bitch!" I snarled.

Just then, Harry and Ron ran up from the dungeon. They helped Hermione up, just as Draco, Narcissa and Lucius ran in, Draco clutching his own wand, along with Hermione's and Ron's.

Harry ran over and took all three wands from him, and at that moment, I felt the copy of the Elder Wand that lay with Albus switch owners once more. Harry had taken Draco's wand, and Draco, until that point, had been the owner, of sorts, of the Elder Wand. I, of course, was the true owner, but until then, I was only too happy to allow Harry to keep it. Just for a little while.

Just then, to my disappointment, Bellatrix came round and stood up, her eyes taking in everything. Just then, a squeaking noise was heard from above her head, and we all looked up to see Dobby determinedly unscrewing the chandelier.

I gave him a little hand by flicking my hand towards it, causing the last of it to unscrew by itself, and it began to fall, unfortunately missing Bellatrix as she dived out of the way.

It was then that I realised that for the first time in my existence that I wanted to actually kill someone - something I was forbidden to do. No, to commit such an act, I would need to be. . .human.

Dobby Apparated in front of the trio and the held onto him and he Disapparated, but not before Bellatrix threw her knife towards him. I vanished, appearing by him as his life ended, the knife hitting him directly in the heart. Bellatrix had deadly aim when it came to knife throwing. As Harry held him in his arms, Dobby looked up, said Harry's name once, and then I swung my scythe, freeing the elf from his mortal life. His spirit smiled at me.

"Tell Harry Potter and his friends that Dobby is most thankful to have met them, and to have known them." he said, before fading from my sight for the final time.

Luna walked over and closed Dobby's eyes.

"There. Now he could be sleeping." she said, smiling softly. Harry dug the grave with his bare hands, no magic.

I then followed the others into Shell Cottage, to where Bill welcomed us all, though he was puzzled. He explained to us all, although I was still invisible, about the rest of his family, and how they had all been taken to his Aunt Muriel's for hiding, using the Fidelius Charm to keep them hidden. he also explained that Shell Cottage was now hidden by the Fidelius Charm, too, and that he was Secret Keeper.

Harry stood at the doorway, listening, not wishing to get mud all over their floors.

"Once Ollivander and Griphook are better, we'll move them to -"

"No." Harry spoke up. "I need to see them immediately."

He left to go wash his hands of the mud and blood that covered them, and I silently followed.

I watched as Harry washed his hands, then, as he was staring into space, I pressed a towel into his hands. He looked down moments later and seemed surprised to find a towel there. Nevertheless, he dried his hands and left the kitchen to find Bill and Fleur stood by the bottom of the stairs.

"I need to see Griphook and Ollivander."

"No," Fleur said, shaking her head. "You'll have to wait, Harry. They are both too tired -"

"I'm sorry, but it can't wait. I've got to talk to them now. Privately and separately."

"Harry, what the hell is going on?" Bill demanded. "You show up here with a dead house elf, Hermione looks like she's been tortured -"

That's because she has, I said to myself. Duh, Bill.

"-and Ron's just refused to tell me anything."

"We can't tell you what we're doing," Harry said flatly. "Bill, you're in the Order, you know we're on a mission from Dumbledore, we can't tell anyone."

Fleur made an impatient noise, and one look at her was enough to tell me she was this close from tearing Harry's head off. Bill, however, was quiet for a moment as he studied Harry. Finally, he spoke.

"Alright. Who do you want to talk to first?"

"Griphook," Harry said after a moment. "I'll speak to Griphook first."

"This way." Bill said, leading him upstairs.

Harry took a few steps, then stopped and turned to where Hermione and Ron were stood, half concealed by the doorway.

"I need you two as well - and where's Dean?"

"He's in the living room with Luna." Fleur said, not understanding who Harry meant.

"Not Dean Thomas - the other Dean. Dean Eath."

"Harry," Fleur said, looking confused. "There was only one Dean with you."

I decided to save Harry the bother of explaining and made myself visible, causing everyone who saw me to jump.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm here. Let's go."

Harry nodded then turned to Hermione, who was looking pale and shaken from her ordeal. I suddenly felt bad for not having gone to her rescue sooner.

"How are you?" he asked her. "You were amazing - coming up with that story when she was torturing you like that."

She gave a weak smile in response, and Ron gave her a one armed hug and looked to his friend.

"What are we doing now, Harry?"

"You'll see."

We all followed Harry to Bill and Fleur's room, and Bill brought in Griphook, who had been fed Skele-Gro.

Harry got the pleasantries aside by asking how he was, then not long after, got to the point of saying he wished to break into a Gringott's vault - but not for material gain.

All through his explanations, Griphook stared at him curiously, but when he got into an argument with Ron over wand-carriers lording it up over the goblins and house-elves, Hermione exclaimed that under the new regime, she was lower than they were, and that all along, the three of them had fought for equal rights for goblins and house elves, and Griphook stared at her with the same curiosity he had Harry.

Suddenly, he turned to look at me.

"And you? Do you feel the same way as these three?" he asked me.

I said nothing, and he repeated the question, and then his eyes widened slightly as I dropped my guise.

"The matters of humans and non humans matter not to me," I said. "All live, and all die. In the end, all are the same."

"But Death, don't you think then that all should have equal rights?" Hermione asked me.

I nodded. "I do. But humans have always been this way - they think they are best, strongest, most worthy of everything."

Everyone in the room nodded as they understood that I was not giving humans a bad name, merely stating the truth. Most of humankind did think they were worthy of all the best things the world had to offer.

Soon, Griphook said he was tired, and we all left, but not before Harry took the Sword with us, and he and I both saw a flash of resentment in the goblin's eyes.

Griphook was going to die soon.

Once outside the room, Harry explained to the other two about just why he wanted to go to Gringotts. He thought Tom might have given a Horcrus to Bellatrix for safekeeping in her vault. Once he had finished, the other two looked very impressed with Harry's reasonings.

We entered Garrick's room, and he almost had a heart attack upon seeing me, and I immediately shifted back into my human guise, apologising.

Harry sat and spoke with the wandmaker, who answered his questions, shooting nervous glances at me every now and then.

Once the questioning had finished, the trio and I went outside, where Harry explained everything about the Elder Wand - that Albus now had it. Ron looked horrified - just as Harry collapsed.


	23. Chapter 23

After a few moments, Harry came round, looking practically grey.

After he explained to the other two what had happened, they both took a different side; Ron was aghast that Tom now had the Elder Wand, while I was completely unsurprised. Hermione, however, seemed to think the Wand evil, and was glad Harry did not have it.

"For goodness sake, Hermione, the Wand is not evil!" I said emphatically.

She fell silent, knowing better than to argue with the maker of said Wand.

Three days after we had been at the cottage, Fleur approached Harry, looking a little annoyed, telling him Griphook wished to see him. The four of us went up to Griphook's room. Once there, the goblin explained he was going to help Harry break into Gringotts - in return for the Sword of Gryffindor. He and Ron soon got into an argument over who owned the sword. I shut myself off from it. Wizards and goblins and their petty little arguments. I sighed.

The four of them began discussing ways to break into Gringotts; for the most part, I sat simply watching them, but every now and then would chip in with something I thought they might find useful; such as the fact that I could simply saunter on into the Lestrange's vault and take what we were all going in together for. I was shot down by Griphook, who did not seem to mattered not. In just a few months, he would be dead.

The hours spent in that tiny room turned into weeks, and Griphook, at Fleur's angry bequest, began eating with the rest of us downstairs.

Finally, one blustery April evening, I took out a tiny hourglass and smiled down as the name appeared.

Teddy Remus Lupin. No doubt his father would soon be here, ecstatic over the birth of his son.

Sure enough, not long after, there was a great pounding at the door, and Remus shouted that it was he, Remus John Lupin. He burst in and announced the birth of his son, to much applause. I smiled quietly to myself. A new life had entered the world.

Some time later, Remus left, and I made sure to give him a wide smile. I'd be seeing him soon enough, too. He gave me a confused smile before leaving, still joyous over his son. I felt sorry for him and his son. His child, like Harry, would never know his parents.

Bill took Harry aside, and I followed, invisible, to hear Bill cautioning Harry about trusting a goblin, and how they could twist things.

Some time later, we were all ready. Hermione had Polyjuice Potion with Bellatrix's hair in it; no one had seemed to hear me when I had said I could turn her into Bellatrix without the use of a potion. Once again, I was a silent observer, simply because no one seemed to realise I was even there. It was most frustrating. I felt like going up and screaming in their faces; I am here!

Finally, after Hermione had transfigured Ron's appearance, once again, my protestations once again going unheard, we set off for Diagon Alley and made our way to Gringotts.

Once in Diagon Alley, we soon ran into Travers, yet another Death Eater. Hermione introduced Ron as Dragomir Despard, and I bit back a chuckle. Dragomir Despard did indeed exist - he just happened to live on other side of the world to everyone else here.

"'Ow you?" Ron said, extending his hand, which was slightly grubby. Travers took it with an air of heavy distaste.

"Brilliant, Ron!" I said, grinning. Of course, I made sure Travers did not hear me.

We were soon inside the halls of Gringotts; apart from a few incidents where Harry had to use the Imperius Curse, all went well. I flew down to the Lestrange's vault to wait for the others. I didn't have long to wait - they fell right in front of the door. Literally. Thanks to the magical waterfall up above us, all their enchantments had been removed. If it had been my enchantments, the waterfall wouldn't have done a thing, but I felt it prudent to mention this, and instead followed the others into the vault.

Immediately, we encountered issues. Harry didn't know what we were looking for - anything could be the Horcrux, unless it was the Cup. Soon, however, after discovering that contents of the vault were enchanted with spells to make them multiply and burn, Harry found the Horcrux, hidden away at the top of a wall. I flew up and grabbed it as the vault began door opened behind us and Griphook grabbed the sword and ran out, claiming we were thieves. There was only one way out and that was through. I dropped my disguise and roared at the goblins, all of whom dropped their daggers in terror and cowered, allowing the trio to get past.

Hermione jumped onto the half blind dragon, and I walked up to it and spoke to it in it's own language, telling it to escape, while I shattered the chains binding it.

"I know not who you are," he said, "nor how you know my language, but I thank you for freeing me at last from my imprisonment."

Saying this, he began scaling the walls, finally smashing through the roof of Gringotts.

"Go!" I shouted to the trio, flying by the dragon just before it took off. "I have to stay here, people are going to die!"

The last thing I saw before the grateful dragon took to the skies, albeit a little clumsily, which was only understandable after so many years confinement, was Hermione's horrified face as she realised what this meant.

Soon, Tom arrived with Nagini, Lucius and Bellatrix. Lucius looked afraid, Bellatrix, angry and scowling.

The goblins explained what had happened, and the moment they mentioned the imposters had taken a small golden cup, Tom screamed a scream of rage and fear. He was terrified that Harry now knew his secret about the Horcruxes.

His rage was terrible; he began casting curses left right and centre. Three of them went right through me. I swung my scythe in a wide arc, my scythe cathing every soul as the deaths of their vessels ocurred. I walked over to Tom, who hissed at Nagini to come to him and he Disapparated. I myself vanished, appearing at the trio's side as Harry was coming round and explaining to the other two that the final Horcrux was at Hogwarts.

Well, it will be at Hogwarts once you go there, Harry.

Far away, back in Shell Cottage, Luna was sat by Dobby's grave, humming to herself and staring at the blank hourglass I had given her. She stared at it curiously as the part where a name should be began shifting, almost as though it was awakening.

I knew that once I arrived at Hogwarts, I was going to have my work cut out for me. May 2, 1998 was the day a lot of people were going to die. What I didn't know, was that it was also to be the birth of someone very special.


	24. Chapter 24

We arrived in Hogsmeade, the trio under the Cloak, myself invisible to all, when a horrific din sounded. A Caterwauling Charm!

A group of Death Eaters appeared, knowing Harry was here, and tried Summoning the Cloak, which, of course, failed then summoned the Dementors, and Harry had no choice but to conjure his Patronus. Of course, they dived on that and started getting excited. Just then a nearby door opened, showering light onto the dark streets of Hogsmeade.

"Potter, in here, quickly! Keep under that Cloak."

Obeying the man's voice, the trio dashed inside. I followed, stopping to watch as the man yelled att he Death Eaters, conjuring his goat Patronus to fool them into thinking it was Harry's. They took it, hook, line and sinker. Gentlemen, I do believe you just got hung out to dry.

I went downstairs to join the trio and Aberforth. I smiled at the picture of Ariana that hung above the fireplace.

"Hello, Ariana. It's good to see you again."

She smiled and waved a little at me.

"How do you know my sister?" Aberforth asked, as he came back into the room with food and drink.

"I know her better than you think, Aberforth Dumbledore." I replied, turning to smile at her once again. "Sad that she died the way she did. Your brother never did forgive himself for having such foolish ideas."

"Just who are you?" he demanded gruffly.

I dropped my disguise and spread my wings.

"I am Death."

Despite himself, Aberforth took a step or two back, eyes widening for a moment, then he seemed to compose himself.

"Yes, well, I expect you're here for me, then, eh? Well I'm not g -"

"Shut up," I replied calmly. "I'm not here for you, not yet anyway. You've got a good few years left to go."

He said nothing to my statement, simply watched as I shifted seamlessly back to being Dean once more.

Harry spoke up about Albus' mission, and Aberforth gave a derisive laugh, saying that he and Albus had been raised on keeping secrets - and there was much Harry did not know. Attention soon turned to Ariana again, and Aberforth told the tale of how she had died, how Albus, Gellert and himself had fought in their home, and, wanting to help, but having no knowledge of her magic, Ariana had died, hit by a Killing Curse.

"An' I suppose you know what really happened that day." he said, staring at me.

I stared right back at him and simply nodded.

"Tell me, then. I must know." he said hoarsely.

"Later, Aberforth. For now, Harry and his friends require your help getting into the castle."

"Haven't I just said -"

"You will help them, Aberforth."

Harry also argued. He knew how the whole thing might play out, had known for years. Oddly enough, this seemed to be one of the things that decided it for Aberforth, as when Harry told him that if he did know a way to get them in the castle, now would be the time, Aberforth simply sat there for a few moments, before getting up and walking over to Ariana's portrait.

"You know what to do." he said. In reply, she said nothing. I assumed it was because in life, she had been a quiet soul, so, in death, her painting was too. She turned and walked away towards the horizon of her painting, finally vanishing from view. Moments later, she reappeared, and the portrait swung open, revealing a very battered and bruised Neville Longbottom.

"I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!" he roared, leaping down and hugging us all, including me. I stiffened for a moment, before returning his hug with a smile. After all, Hogwarts was hardly a 'safe' place any more. Even for Pure Bloods.

We followed Neville back up the tunnel, and he filled us in on the horrors of Hogwarts, how Defence Against the Dark Arts had simply become the Dark Arts, how Muggle Studies was simply poking fun at Muggles and saying how dirty their blood was, and finally, how he, Luna and Ginny had taken to re-organising Dumbledore's Army. I'd heard much about it on my travels with the trio, and was sorry I had not arrived in their 5th year. Then again, I reminded myself, if I had come in their 5th year for the Hallows, things would have been that much more difficult for me, particularly with Dolores Jane Umbridge running the school. I smiled to myself as I imagined all the things I could have done to her to scare her. I did love scaring people like her. It was fun.

We continued along, listening to Neville's horrific tales, until finally, we came out into the Room of Requirement, which was packed full of people, all of whom roared in delight at seeing Harry, thinking he was here to lead them once again.

Luna and Dean Thomas soon arrived, followed swiftly by Ginny, Fred, George and Lee Jordan. Harry was busy protesting that he was not here to start Dumbledore's Army again. I pulled him aside.

"Listen here, Harry Potter, these people are your friends. Remember those? You know, people you trust and care about, all that mortal stuff?" I said. "Well, they want to help. So let them help already! You don't have to tell them exactly what you're looking for."

He stared at me for a while, then sighed.

"Ok." he said. Immediately, the room fell silent faster than if Severus had coughed during one of his classes.

"There's something we're looking for," he began. "Something here at Hogwarts that can help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone come across anything like that? Something with an eagle on it, perhaps?"

He looked round, desperately hoping someone would speak up. To his surprise, Luna was the first to speak.

"Well, there's her Diadem, I told you about it before, Harry, remember? The one Daddy was trying to recreate."

"Yeah, but Luna, it's called the Lost Diadem for a reason." Cho said, shaking her head. "No one in living memory knows where it is."

Luna turned to me.

"Dean. . ."

I sighed.

"Yes. When I knew Rowena all those years ago, she did wear it often, most particularly when she was building Hogwarts."

"What are you banging on about?" Seamus demanded, wincing through one of his many bruises.

I sighed. Once again, I was going to have to reveal myself. This was really getting old. I dropped the disguise and spread my wings and pretty much everyone in the room either gasped, shrieked or screamed.

Luna, all of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were the only ones who did none of those things. Instead, they simply waited. Finally, Luna spoke.

"Well, Death?"

"I remember Rowena hiding her Diadem from her daughter, Helena. Helena was terribly jealous of her mother, and so she stole it. When she died in Albania, shortly followed by the man who coveted her, the Baron -"

"Hold on," Ron interrupted. "The Baron? D'you mean the "

"The Bloody Baron, yes."

There was a murmur of interest. Clearly, they though this 'cool.' Mortals.

"So. . does that mean you know where it is?" Harry asked tenatively.

"No. I do not. The last I recall was that Helena had it."

There was a collective sigh of diappointment.

"Okay, then I need to get to the Raveclaw Common Room." Harry said.

"I'll take you, Harry." Cho said.

"No," Ginny said firmly. "Luna will take him, won't you, Luna?"

"Of course." Luna replied.

Cho looked a little disappointed as Luna led Harry to the Raveclaw Common Room. I followed.

We reached the doorway to the Common Room. Luna knocked.

"Which came first, the Phoenix or the Flame?" the door asked.

I saw Harry visibly panic. Clearly, he thought there was no way Luna was going to be able to answer this. How wrong he was.

"Well then," Luna said. "I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."

"Good answer." the door said, swinging open. I grinned at Harry's shocked face.

We walked inside, and I marveled at how different this Common Room was to the Gryffindor Common Room.

We stopped by a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, wearing her diadem. Harry read the words engraved on the plinth the statue stood on.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

"Which makes you pretty skint, witless!" a voice screeched.

We all turned to see Alecto Carrow stood there, grinning madly as she pressed her finger to her Mark Harry winced immediately, and I knew Tom had been summoned by the pressing of the Mark. Harry's gaze went dull, and I knew he was seeing Tom fly his way to the school. Luna raised her wand and a loud bang echoed around the room and Alecto dropped, Stunned.

As Harry's gaze swam back into focus, Luna spoke, looking mildly interested.

"I've never Stunned anyone except in lessons. It was louder than I thought it would be."

I laughed.

The ceiling above us began to rumble as feet pounded on the floors above. Luna and Harry ived back under the Cloak as the Ravenclaws came down. A brave first year prodded Alecto with his toe.

"I think she might be dead!" he shouted in delight.

Not yet kid, but soon. Soon.

"Oh, look!" Luna whispered. "They're happy!"

I smiled as I watched the Ravenclaws all grin in delight, grins which soon faded as an awful punding sounded at the door.

"Where do Vanished objects go?" the musical voice of the door asked.

"I dunno, do I? Shut it!" an uncouth voice snarled. It could only be Amycus Carrow. I was looking forward to this.

He began pounding loudly, screaming about 'ending up like the Malfoys.'

"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" Minerva's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

He snarled his reply, then told her to open the door.

"Garn! Open it!"

"Very well." she replied icily, and knocked gently upon the door. I walked up to the door and muttered to it.

"Into non-being, though some call it everything."

"Nicely phrased." the door said, opening. Minerva walked inside, looking confused as to why the door had suddenly opened before she had had chance to reply.

I grinned, and, as Amycus ran to his sister with a roar of anger, I tapped Minerva on the shoulder, briefly showed myself to her, put a finger to my lips with a smile, then promptly vanished again. I saw a confused look cross her face, then a smile.

"Alecto!" Amycus roared.

Minerva attempted to calm him, and he got up, rage covering his face and took a step towards her, banging on about Harry being here.

As he got closer, I saw him readying to spit in her face and immediately grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into a wall. He gasped for air, and I realised if I continued, I would end up killing him, so I dropped him.

He stood and strode over to Minerva. Oh dear. I'd made things worse.

"You bitch!" he said. And he spat in her face.

Harry dropped the Cloak.

"You shouldn't have done that." he said. "Crucio!"

Amycus flew backwards, writhing like a drowning man, finally smashing into a bookcase with glass doors. The glass shattered all over the floor, and he crumpled to the ground.

"Potter!" Minerva gasped, her hand clutching her chest where her heart lie. "Potter - you - how did - "

She seemed to be struggling to pull herself together, and I appeared by her.

"Calm yourself, Minerva. Everything will be alright."

She finally got a grip on herself, only to lose it as Harry said Tom's chosen name of Voldemort and Luna appeared, sounding interested as she asked if everyone could say his name now.

"Minerva!" I spoke sharply. "You are a teacher at this school and as such are expected to uphold a professional, dignified manner at all times. Or have you forgotten that?"

She pulled herself together at once, her face lighting up in wonder once Harry explained we were here on Albus' orders. She said immediately that she and the other teachers would secure the castle whilst Harry looked for the. . object, as she called it. She cast the Imperius Curse on an awakening Alecto and he lay down by his Stunned sister, then she bound them with rope. I took out their hourglasses and gazed at them, watched by Minerva, Harry and Luna. I stared at their hourglasses, as their time dwindled very quickly, to only having a few short hours left. Something big was going to happen tonight to kill these two, especially consiering that Minerva was just typign them up in a large net, leaving them dangling from the ceiling of the room, both unconscious.

We left the room, Harry and Luna under the Cloak and Minerva and I walking side by side. I made myself invisible to all those who were on Tom's side in this war.

We soon came across Severus, who was prowling the corridors, his wand out, his dark eyes scanning everywhere.

His eyes locked onto me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Oh, you can see me, then. I knew it.

"I am everywhere, Severus. I was there the night you killed Albus." I replied, dropping my disguise. He immediately took several steps back, horror written all over his face.

"And I was there," I added quietly so only he could hear me, "the night you cradled Lily's body in your arms and wept."

His face went blank.

Throughout all this, Minerva had been looking between the two of us like a spectator at a table tennis match. It would have been comical, if the situation hadn't been so serious. It got more serious as she and Severus began duelling as he mentioned if she had seen Harry. Two of the spells flew right through me.

"Oi!" I roared, causing them both to freeze immediately. "Watch it! Those spells are going right through me!"

They both looked at me, then to one another, then took a few sidesteps and resumed their duel.

"Thank you." I said, watching as Snape took off through a window, breaking the glass.

"Coward!" Minerva yelled as she, Horace, Pomona and Filius ran after him.

We followed to hear Minerva telling the other teachers that Tom waso n his way and that they must defend the school. Molly, Arthur and the Order poured into the classroom and Harry and Luna took off. I stopped behind to follow Minerva and the others as they walked out into the courtyard and began casting a variety of spells. Soon, a shield of light was erected around the entire school and grounds, ending just past the wooden bridge.

"Piertotum Locomotor!" Minerva cried, raising her wand aloft.

Instantly, every single statue and suit of armour in the castle came to life.

"Hogwarts is threatened!" she shouted. "Man the boundaries, protect us! Do your duty to your school"

Yelling and charging, the small army stampeded out of the main doors and into the courtyard, where they spread out, some along the stone bridge, the rest covering the grounds.

"I've always wanted to use that spell." she said proudly. Molly and I both looked at her. She blushed and grinned.

I swept back inside, leaving the two women to continue adding to Hogwart's defenses.

As all the younger students made their way to the Room of Requirement, and the older students ran around the castle taking up their positions, I saw Luna chasing Harry, telling him to wait.

"Can't, Luna, sorry!" he called back. She chased him up a spiral staircase.

"HARRY POTTER YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW!" she shouted. Harry stopped and turned to her, surprised.

"Woah, go Luna!" I said, impressed.

"Don't you remember what was said about the diadem?" she asked, calmer now Harry had actually turned to listen.

"Yes, no one in living -"

"Exactly," she interrupted. "no one in living memory. Isn't it obvious?"

Harry stared at her blankly and I facepalmed.

"We have to talk to the ghost of Ravenclaw." she said, leading the way.


	25. Chapter 25

Luna, Harry and I soon arrived at the place that the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw most frequented and I sensed her spirit long before we got there, and ended up leading the way, dropping my guise as we got closer. Perhaps she would be more compliant with Harry's request if I was there.

Tom's voice had already sounded through the castle, telling everyone to hand Harry over. Hand Harry over, and he would not harm any of them. I had heard the movement of the students as McGonagall had ordered the Slytherins to leave. I guessed that the Slytherins had meant to go looking for Harry. Bloody cowards.

Luna stopped.

"I think you two had best go. She doesn't like to be crowded." saying this, she walked away, smiling.

Harry and I approached, and at first, Helena began to drift away, but upon seeing me, she froze.

"You," she said. "What do you want?"

"Harry wants a word with you. Help him, would you? He needs to ask about your mother's Diadem. You know. The one you stuck in the tree in Albania."

"Moth - This is Helena Ravenclaw?" Harry burst out.

She nodded.

"In life, I was known as Helena Raveclaw. Rowena Ravenclaw was my mother."

She eventually gave in, explaining how Tom Riddle had approached her, a faint blush on her cheeks as she recalled the encounter. Clearly, young Tom Riddle had been a bit of a charmer with the ladies.

Suddenly, unbidden as they did sometimes, two hourglasses flew from my robe and hung, suspended in midair. I didn't need to look to know to whom they belonged.

"I must go, Harry. We will meet again soon. Helena, help him." I said, the last three words spoken firmly before I arrived at Ravenclaw tower, just in time to see it explode as a huge boulder flew into it. Instantly, the lives of Alecto and Amycus Carrow ended. Something had changed. Their deaths originally had not been for years more, when they would be in Azkaban, and, maddened by Dementors, they would gouge out their own eyes, laughing all the while.

I swung my scythe - it passed through the stone as though it were not there, and latched onto the two struggling spirits of the Carrow siblings. They dropped free of my scythe and looked around.

"What the bloody 'ell happened?!" Amycus roared.

"The two of you have a -" I began.

"We were alright a bit ago! It's that old bat, McGonagall! She did this!" Alecto put in angrily.

""As I was saying, the two -"

"I'm going to go haunt that bitch!"

"Will the two of you shut the fuck up?!" I roared, pushed past my limits. "I'm on a very tight schedule, and, to top it all off, my friends and people I care about are in danger! Forget your damned choice, you're going on whether you like it or not!"

I swung my scythe and the two of them vanished. It was only then that I realised just what I had said. Friends. . .? People I cared about? That was a human thing. No. I was not human, and I would never be. I had to stop thinking like this. I also had to stop swearing. It was unbecoming of me.

I had to find Harry, Ron and Hermione. Locking onto their life forces, I vanished, reappearing by them as they were explaining to Harry that they had been to the Chamber of Secrets; Ron had used a mimic of Harry's Parseltongue to get in. Harry had spoken it in his sleep a lot, and, luckily for Ron, the word he always spoke was 'open.'

"There you are, Dean." Harry said, looking glad to see me. A warm glow of pleasure spread through me. It was nice to be wanted for a change.

"Well done, you two." I said to Ron and Hermione, shifting back to being Dean once more as I spoke. They both beamed.

"It's genius!" yelled Harry. Ron beamed even more.

"It was nothing," he said, grinning. "So what's new with you?"

"I know what the Diadem looks like," Harry said, speaking quickly as the castle walls shook with the force of the battle raging outside. For me, this was just like old times. Been there, done that. "he hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book. He thought no one else ever went there, but I know where it is. Come on."

As we followed him, I was aware of something inside me beginning to shift, and also completely unaware that the blank hourglass was beginning to change once more; a name was beginning to appear on it, and it was beginning to give off the faintest glow. Busy fighting for her life, Luna had no way of knowing this either. Everyone would soon find out, though, just before Tom died at long last, all would be revealed, and it was something I would never see coming.

We reached the Room to find it devoid of life bar three people; Augusta Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks and Ginny Weasley.

"Ah, Potter," Augusta said crisply, as though she had been waiting the entire time for Harry to show up. "You can tell us what's going on."

"Is everyone OK?" Nymphadora and Ginny spoke in unison.

"Far as we know," said Harry. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"I was the last to come through," Augusta replied. "I sealed it. I thought it most unwise to leave it unsealed now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

"He's out there, fighting." I replied.

"Naturally," she said proudly. "Excuse me, I must go assist him."

With surprising speed for a mortal her age, she rushed off, leaving the rest of us alone.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mothers?" Harry asked Nymphadora.

"I couldn't stand not knowing - she'll look after him - have you seen Remus?" she looked anguished, she was torn between being with her new born son and being with her husband. Clearly, worry for her husband had won out.

"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds." Harry said.

Without another word, Nymphadora sped off so fast it was like she simply blurred then vanished.

"Ginny, I'm sorry, but we need you to leave, too." Harry said. Her face lit up and she dashed out, Harry yelling after her that she had to come back in after.

"Fat chance, Harry." I said, shaking my head. Harry shook his, too, knowing I was right.

"Hang on!" Ron said sharply all of a sudden. "We've forgotten someone!"

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"

"You mean we should get them fighting?" Harry said.

"No," Ron replied seriously. "We should tell them to get out. We don't want them dying for us, we can't have any more Dobbys, can we?"

There was a great clatter as the Basilisk fangs Hermione was carrying cascaded to the floor and she threw herself at Ron, kissing him soundly on the mouth. Ron returned the kiss with such force that he lifted Hermione off the ground.

"It's about bloomin' time." I muttered. Harry, however, was not so pleased.

"Is this the time?" he asked weakly.

"Duh, Harry. Of course it is. Why do you think they're kissing?" I asked sarcastically.

"OI!" he shouted. "There's a war going on here!"

The two finally pulled apart, Ron looking as though he'd been hit by a Bludger.

"I know, mate, which is why it's now or never, isn't it?" he said.

"Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?!" Harry shouted. "Do you think you could hold off until we get the diadem?"

"Yeah - right - sorry." Ron said, and the two of them gathered the fangs back up, pink in the face.

We stepped back out into the corridor; the battle had grown worse, spells flashed outside every window, like firewoks exploding, every colour imaginable flashed. If it hadn't been so awful, it might have been pretty to watch, all the coloured lights dancing on the floor. I could almost imagine Luna dancing with them, but of course, right now, Luna was fighting. My Luna. Wait. I shook my head, clearing it of thoughts as we all peeked out of a shattered window, seeing Grawp storm past, swinging a gargoyle from his fist and roaring his displeasure at the noise and lights, as well as all the people trying to hurt Hagrid.

"Let's hope he steps on some of them." Ron said viscously.

"As long as it's not any of our lot!" a voice said from nearby: we turned to see Nymphadora and Ginny both at the next window, which was also missing several panes.

As we watched, Ginny sent a very well aimed curse into the crowd of fighters below us.

"Good girl!" roared Aberforth charging up through the dust, his hair flying everywhere as he led a small group of students. "They look like they might be breaching the North Battlements! They've brought their own giants with them!"

This really was like the other wars I'd been in, one army defending the castle, the other breaching the battlements. It certainly brought back memories.

"Have you seen Remus?" a desperate Nymphadora asked Aberforth.

"Last I saw him he was dueling Dolohov -"

She dashed off immediately after Aberforth, Ginny calling that he'd be fine.

"They'll be fine." Harry said.

I said nothign as two more hourglasses appeared.

"No," Harry said. "Not Tonks and Lupin. . .not them. Dean, please! Do something!"

I looked at him.

"I can't. Not these. They're meant to. I'm sorry, Harry, all of you. I really am. I'm forbidden from changing what must be."

Leaving the four of them with tears streaming down their faces, I took myself off to Nymphadora and Remus, just in time to see Remus die by the hand of the Death Eater who everyoen called Dolohov, and for Nymphadora to be killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, her aunt.

I swung my scythe and their souls moved immediately. I knew they would be back soon, knew that Harry would call Remus back, along with Sirius and his parents when his time came. Tonks had some baggage to get rid of before she could move on. leaving no time for sorrow at the people who had become friendly towards me in the time I'd been here, I took myself to the Room of Requirement as Vincent Crabbe's time neared it's end.

"Like it hot, scum?!" Vincent roared as he ran after Ron, who was racing towards Gregory Goyle, Harry, Hermione and Draco. The fool had cast a Fiendfyre spell without knowing how to control it. It would be the death of him. Literally. As the others ran, Vincent tripped and the fire consumed him. I swung my scythe and took his soul and moved it on then flew out of the room to join the others. Draco was half passed out, while Gregory was completely unconscious.

The Horcrux in Harry's hand shattered, and I took out Tom's hourglass once more to see that one two more pieces remained. Nagini, and Harry.

"It must have been Fiendfyre!" Hermione said, looking aghast at the very thought.

"What?" Harry said.

"Fiendfyre - one of the things that can truly destroy a Horcrux. It's very hard to cast, and even harder to control. How did Crabbe know how to -?"

"Probably learned from the Carrows." Harry said grimly.

"Don't you realise?" Hermione said, her voice now a whisper. "This means if we can just get the snake -"

She broke off as yells, shouts and the unmistakable sound of duelling echoed throughout the corridor.

We all looked round to see Fred and Percy Weasley backing up the corridor, both of them duelling Death Eaters. I took out an hourglass, ready. Ron looked over.

"Who?" he asked. I did not reply.

Without waiting for my reply, the three of them darted forward, casting spells, the two men backed off, the one fighting Percy backed away further still and his hood slipped, revealing Pius Thicknesse, the current Minister for Magic.

"Hello, Minister!" Percy bellowed, casting a neat little jinx at his former employer, causing him to drop his wand and grab at the front of his robes in distress. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

Three. . .

"You're joking, Perce!" Fred shouted happily.

Two. . .

As both Death Eaters collapsed under the jinxes and spells, Fred looked to his brother with glee.

One.

"You are joking, Perce! I haven't seen you joke since -"

BOOM

The explosion of the wall nearby sent us all flying, and I threw my scythe towards Fred Weasley's falling body - it spun, caught his soul then boomeranged back to me, where I caught it again.

"No - no - no!" Percy shouted, shaking his brother. "No, Fred, no!"


	26. Chapter 26

"FRED!" Ron screamed, tears pouring down his face as he knelt by his brother. He stood and turned, bellowed at me in anger and sorrow.

"Do it! Bring him back! Bring him back, NOW!"

"I can't." I replied.

"P-please. . " he begged, sobbing hard.

I looked at Fred's hourglass once more, sensed his spirit was still lingering. Could I? Was I allowed to bend the rules? Grasping my scythe, I realised. Yes. This time, yes. These circumstances were unusual.

"Move." I said, raising my scythe and calling Fred's soul back to it.

Ron moved and I swung my scythe down, hard, driving Fred's soul back into his body with all my strength.

"You have another twenty-five years, Fred Weasley. Use them well." I said, as he opened his eyes and began coughing.

Ron threw his arms around me, sobbing me, thanking me with all his heart.

"Shh." I said soothingly, patting his back. "It's alright now. You do know I can't do that to all who have died though, right?"

He nodded and sniffed, grabbed Fred and hauled him out of the way as spiders began attacking.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, turning to him. "You've got to find out where he is - do it, Harry!"

Harry closed his eyes and opened them after a few minutes, telling us that Tom was in the Shrieking Shack. Hermione was outraged at this, and Harry explained that Tom thought Harry would simply hand himself in.

"GET BACK!" Ron roared, and we flattened ourselves against a wall as a horde of desks came clattering past, Minerva shepherding them, screaming 'CHARGE!' at the top of her voice.

We ran on, the trio under the Cloak, myself also invisible as we ran. We came across Dean Thomas who had won himself a wand and was fighting Dolohov, Parvati Patil fighting Travers.

As we came into view, a Death Eater spotted the air ripple around the Cloak and pointed to it, yelling. He was hit by a well placed Stunning Spell instantly and thudded to the ground.

I zoomed here, there and everywhere, taking souls as their vessels perished in the battle, making sure not to stray too far from the trio. At once point, I arrived in time to see a whole horde of Dementors appear, and the trio failed to cast a Patronus. Suddenly, a fox, hare and a boar flew past into the crowd of Dementors, who backed off. We turned to see Luna, Ernie and Seamus. My heart sighed in relief. I knew Luna wouldn't die for a long time yet, but still - I was relieved to see her safe and sound.

"That's right," she said encouragingly, as though it were one of their DA lessons. "Patronuses, come on, Harry, think os something happy."

"Something. . happy?" he said, his voice cracking.

"We're all still here." she whispered, taking my hand and smiling at me. A glow lit up inside of me and I beamed back at her. "We're all still fighting. . come on. . ."

Fainlly, Harry's stag burst forth from his wand and chased away the last of the Dementors.

"Can't thank you enough - you saved our -" Ron began, when the sky was split with a roar as a giant lumbered out of the forest, weilding a club bigged than all of us here stood on top of one another.

"RUN!" I shouted, tearing off with the trio towards the Whomping Willow, hating how Luna's hand left mine, I saw her throw me a smile as she vanished back into the fray.

We arrived at the Willow, and, completely by accident, as I w as running too hard, I slammed into the trunk and my nose hit the very knot in the trunk that froze the branches.

"Ow. . " I complained, rubbing my nose. Wait - I could feel pain? This was not a good development.

Harry dived into the hole and I followed him, making sure to wait at the stairs, where he pulled on his cloak and stopped to listen. I took out Severus' hourglass and looked. He had seconds left. I flew into the room, invisible and stopped to listen to Tom gloating how he was extraordinary, but the Elder Wand had only performed the usual magic for him. He told Severus that he had to kill the previous owner, and that owner was not Albus Dumbledore - it was the person who killed him.

"That person was you, Severus." he said.

"My Lord!" Severus protested, raising his wand, knowing what was to come.

"It cannot be any other way." Tom said. "I must master the Wand, Severus. Master the Wand, and I master Potter at last."

He swiped the air with the Elder Wand, and I saw, the way no one else could, the trail of magic it left in the air as the non-verbal spell was cast and Nagini's cage floated over and covered Severu's head and shoulders.

"Kill." Tom hissed in Parseltongue.

There was a terrible scream, the scream of a man who knows he is to die and is powerless to stop it, and terrified. Nagini struck, drawing blood from Severus' neck, striking again, and again, and again, until his neck was a bloody mess.

Tom raised his wand again and he flew off, Nagini and her cage following him.

"I regret it." he said coldly as he left.

No sooner had he left, and Severus had put his hand to his in a vain attempt to stem the flow of blood, than Harry appeared from under the Cloak, walked over to Severus and looked at him.

"Take. . .it. . . .Take. . .it. . ." he rasped. Frm his eyes, tears rolloed, followed by a silvery essence - a memory, and a whole bunch of them with the looks of how much there was. Hermione hurriedly conjured a flask and thrust it into Harry hand and Harry bottled the memory. Severus grabbed Harry and puleld him close, staring into his eyes. I readied my scythe.

"You. . .have. . her. . .eyes. . ."

I swung.

A few seconds later, Tom's high, cold voice spoke, echoing everywhere. He was once again speaking to everyone.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, every one of you will die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemot is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

He then continued.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, then battle recommences. This time, Harry Potter, I shall enter the fray myself, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Hermione and Ron shook their heads vehemently at Harry as Tom finished speaking.

"Don't listen to him." Ron said.

"It'll be alright," Hermione said wildly. "Let's - let's get back to the castle, we'll think of a new plan." Glancing at Severus' body once more, we left to return to the castle. One the way there, bodies littered the grounds. I was once more reminded of several war-torn battlefields I'd been on. This was the worst war I'd seen in a couple of years though.

"Where is everyone?" Hermione whispered as we reached the Entrance Hall. Ron nodded towards the Great Hall, and we walked in. Immediately, all eyes were on us, first going to Harry, then to me. Almost everyone there knew my true identity now, and I sensed they wanted me to bring everyone back, but did not dare ask.

Fred stood with his family, all of whom were crying and hugging him. Upon seeing me, Molly pulled me into a tight hug, whispering into my ear.

"Thank you. Thank you, so much. I know you didn't have to do it, and I can't think of a way we'll ever repay you -"

"Ron already has. With his friendship." I whispered back, and she broke down into heavier sobs. Fred grinned at me and thanked me for giving him a second chance.

"Make sure you use it well, Fred. twenty-five years, mate." I replied. He grinned and the two of us shook hands, and it suddenly ocurred to me that I did not want to leave. Did not want to leave my friends. . .I looked around and saw Luna. I did not want to leave those I cared about. Why? For the first time in my existence, I questioned myself. I wanted to stay. Wanted to live with them, in human form.

Unnoticed by either Luna or myself, the blank hourglass finally began to bear something that looked like a name.

Harry began backing away, and I followed him as he ran up to Dumbledore's office. I was invisible. I didn't want him to see me, not yet. Not until he had seen Severus' memories and discovered the truth about himself.

He ran inside, seeing the room was completely empty, except for the great Penseive that lay on the Headmaster's desk.

He tipped the memory in and thrust his head in after it. I settled to wait. One thing about me is that I could be very patient. I could wait centuries - had, in fact, when it came to Nicholas Flamel.

Suddenly, Harry fell backwards and seemed to spin in midair and landed on the carpet face first. Watching, he came to and struggled up. I appeared and stood, waiting.

"You knew." was all he said.

"Yes." I replied simply.

"But you didn't say. I know why. You couldn't. I had to find out now."

"Yes." I repeated.

"I have to die."

I nodded, and pulled out his hourglass, which was almost empty.

"I can't tell Ron or -"

"You must. Harry, they're your best friends, you have to tell them. They deserve to know." I argued.

He relented, and the two of us walked downstairs to find Ron cuddling Hermione on the steps.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, standing, looking worried. "What's going on?"

"I know now, why I've been sensing Horcruxes." he said.

She looked at him, her eyes betraying her knowledge. She'd known for a while.

"I think you know," he said. "I think you've known for a while."

She burst into tears and hugged him. Ron looked bewildered.

"What -"

"Ron, Harry is the final Horcrux," I said. "He must die in order for Tom to die."

Ron looked aghast, tears rolled down his face, he shook his head and Hermioned pressed herself into him, sobbing. I gently pulled Harry, and, turning his back on his two best friends, the two of us walked on towards the forest. We stopped by Neville, so Harry could tell him that if it came to it, then Neville was to kill Voldemort's snake. Neville agreed and Harry and I continued on, coming across a huge crowd of Dementors.

"Now, Harry. The Stone." I said.

He pulled the Snitch out and put it to his lips.

"I am about to die." he said. The Snitch opened up and the Stone dropped out into his palm. He spun it three times. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus appeared.

"Hello again!" Sirius said cheerily, waving at me.

"Hello Sirius." I said with a sigh.

Lily made to cup her son's face in her hands, drinking in every detail.

"You've been so brave."

"You're nearly there," James said, pride in his voice. "We are so. . .so proud."

"Does it hurt?" Harry asked.

"Dying? Not at all!" Sirius grinned. "Easy as falling asleep, dying."

"And he wants it to be quick," Remus said. "He wants it to be over."

Harry apologised to Remus, saying he'd not wanted him to die, so soon after seeing his son.

"I should hope not, Harry!" I said. Sirius laughed. Harry gave a small smile.

"Stay with me." he said to them, and we walked onwards, into the forest, and towards Harry's death.

We arrived in a clearing; a fire burned in the centre of the clearing, a crowd of silent, watchful Death Eaters, some masked, some unmasked. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the bizzare looking scene. Every eye was on Tom, who stood with his head bowed, his eyes on the Elder Wand.

Yaxley and Dolohov entered the clearing and he looked up.

"No sign of him, My Lord."

"My Lord -" Bellatrix said, starting forward, she stopped by Tom's raised hand.

"I thought he would come," he said, his voice high, clear and cold. "I thought he would come. It seems I was. . .mistaken."

"You weren't." Harry said as loudly as he could, stepping out. The effect was electric, the giants roared and every Death Eater looked alert, Tom had frozen into position. The Stone slipped from Harry's hand, and Lily, Remus, Sirius and James vanished. I held my hand out and silently called. The Stone flew into my hand and I pocketed it.

"Harry Potter," Tom said softly. "The Boy Who Lived."

I readied my scythe, and, as Tom cast the curse, swung, pushing Harrys soul apart from Tom's just a little, just enough to move Tom's piece of his soul into the path of the curse. The curse struck and Harry crumpled to the ground. I followed him to where he would be right now, in his own personal limbo, no doubt having a conversation with Albus Dumbledore.

I arrived as Albus was crying, having told how Ariana had died.

"Albus." I said. he looked up, as did Harry.

"I can tell you who killed her, if it will help you."

"Please." he said, drying his eyes.

"It was all of you, and yet none of you."

His eyes registered confusion, so I sat down to explain, tucking my wings under me.

"Yourself, Aberforth and Gellert were all casting spells at one another, Gellert was using the Killing Curse, You were using a Stunning spell, as was Aberforth. At that precise moment, Ariana tried to jump in with a Shielding Charm, to stop you all fighting. However, at the very moment the three spells connected, her Shield went up, protecting the three of you from the resulting minor explosion, which drove all three spells right into her. Albus, you must understand -"

"That I was meant to die." a soft voice said.

Ariana Dumbledore stood by me, smiling softly at her older brother.

Albus stood, walked over to her and hugged her, weeping.

"I don't blame you," she said to him, kissing his head. "Or Aberforth, if you could tell him that, please." she added to me. I nodded and she smiled.

"I'll leave you to talk with Harry, Albus, then I'll see you soon. I love you."

With that, she vanished, and Albus soon calmed down to finish talking with Harry.

Soon, their talk finished, and they were both silent for some time. Finally, Harry spoke up.

"I've got to go back, haven't I?"

"That is up to you." I replied before Albus could.

"I've got a choice?" Harry seemed surprised.

"Oh, yes. Everyone gets a choice - though not like this one. Yours are very unusual circumstances, as Albus has explained."

"We are in. . King's Cross, you said? Then if you decided not to go back. . .you could simply board a train."

"Where would it take me?"

"On." I replied simply.

After some more talk regarding his decision of whether to return or not, Harry looked at the small child-like thing that was all that was human in Tom Riddle any longer. That part of him had died long ago. It had remained here and would do so until he finally perished.

"Do not pity the dead, Harry Potter." I said. "Pity the living, and above all -"

"-those who live without love," Albus finished for me. "By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families torn apart. If that seems a worthy goal to you, then we say goodbye for the present."

As Harry and I began walking away, he spoke up.

"is this real. . or is this inside my head?"

"Of course it's inside your head, Harry Potter," I replied, smiling along with Albus who was becoming one with the mist that was fast descending upon us as Harry's soul prepared it's return to it's vessel. "But why ever should that mean it is not real?"

As the mist fully descended upon us, Harry returned to his body, and I stood by his side, watching as Narcissa approached, and, in barely more than a breath, asked if Draco was alive and in the castle. Harry breathed back the word yes.

"He's dead." she announced, straightening up.

Everyone began cheering. It was a sickening sight. Hagrid was released and forced to carry Harry's body back to the castle, to where everyone was coming out as we all approached. I was still invisible.

"NO!" Minerva screamed, horrified and shocked beyond words at seeing Harry's prone body in Hagrid's arms.

I didn't know why - Tom had just told everyone before we left the forest that Harry was dead.

Hermione and Ron began screaming for Harry, too, and I knew Harry was fighting not to call out, or move.

Hagrid laid Harry down, and Tom began pacing up and down by his body, saying how Harry had tried to run, and everyone yelled that Harry would never do that. He Silenced them all, and I grinned as his spell failed. Because Harry had died protecting them all, they were all protected.

Neville ran forward, and, with a wave of his wand, Tom Disarmed him, laughing. Neville fell to the ground and I crouched by Harry and looked him in the eyes as he opened them the tiniest crack.

"It's going to be okay, Harry." I said, knowing no one else but he could hear me right now.

He gave no sign of having heard me, yet I knew he had. Meanwhile, Tom was setting Neville and the Sorting Hat on fire.

Everyone screamed as the boy and Hat burst into flames, but the flames would not hold, and suddenly, chaos ensued as Grawp raced around the corner, yelling for his big brother and Tom's giants attacked him. Arrows landed in the group of Death Eaters, who panicked and scattered. Harry drew his Cloak over himself and leapt up and backed away a little.

"Nicely done, Harry!" I said.

"Thanks." he muttered.

As Thestrals and Buckbeak began attacking, along with the centaurs, Harry and I were forced back into Hogwarts, into the Entrance Hall, and I took out Tom's hourglass again, seeing that every bit of the bottom was now full. All that remained was for Tom Riddle to die by his own hand. I flew to where Bellatrix and Molly were duelling, Molly's face etched with rage.

As Bellatrix taunted her about Fred's death, Fred suddenly popped up, fighting another Death Eater, and Bellatrix faltered, just for a second, but a second was all it took. Molly's curse hit her in the heart, and she froze, before her body exploded. I swung my scythe before it did, claiming her soul.

Tom roared and pointed his wand at Molly.

"Protego!" Harry cried, revealing himself.

"He's back! HE'S ALIVE!" came the cries from everyone in the Hall. A sudden silence fell as Harry and Tom began to circle one another. I made sure to flit at the edges of the circle, always where both could see me. The time was near at last!

As Tom taunted Harry, Harry took it all, and revealed everything, how Snape had been a spy from the start, from the very moment Lily had died, how Draco had been the one to Disarm Albus upon the moment of his death, therefore making Draco the Master of the Elder Wand, and, since Harry claimed Draco's wand as his own, Harry was now Master of the Elder Wand.

Or so he though - I was the True Master of the Wand.

Suddenly, Voldemort had had enough, and, as the sun began to rise on the 2nd May, 1998, he raised his wand, as did Harry.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

I leapt between the spells, and, hovering in midair, dropped my disguise, and the two spells slamed into - and through - me. Instantly, I felt the shifting in me move completely until it was a separate life. I was suddenly aware of being laid on the floor by Harry, my eyes closed and a great pounding in my head and chest, yet I was aware of swinging my scythe, and, at long last, claiming the soul of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Dean! Dean!"

Luna's voice seemed to chase the pain away, and I awoke to see myself stood there, holding my scythe in all my skeletal glory, my wings unfurled, still holding the hourglass that formerly belonged to Tom Riddle.

"What happened?" I asked myself.

The other me - Death - took the hourglass from Luna and read the name on it. The shine coming from it was as if from the sun itself.

"Dean Eath." He/I read out loud.

"But - that's not possible. I was part of you - part of Death! How can I be alive - be human?"

"I never understood Life anyway, but it seems Our wanting to stay here, wanting to be human, all of it was granted. However. Look." he said, holding my hourglass out to me. I took it, and to my shock saw that there was no Time inside it.

"But that means I'm dead."

"No. It's shining. Think. Remember."

As my heart pounded harder, it hit me.

"Oh my God. I'm Immortal, aren't I?"

Death nodded. "Neither of us will be lonely, though. We'll have each other to talk to, plus you still have all the powers from before."

"This is going to take some getting used to." I said.

Death laughed, and, taking the Elder Wand from Harry, he took another from his scythe - the True Elder Wand, and merged the two, then handed it to me, along with the Resurrection Stone.

"Both are yours now. Enjoy your life with these. I shall see you in twenty-five years."

"Yeah," I said, smiling broadly now as he left. "You will."

The room erupted into cheers as though they had been waiting for me to stop talking to myself. Everyone grabbed Harry and carried him around on their shoulders.

Luna looked me in the eyes, and, finally, I did something I'd been wanting to do for a very long time.

Leaning forward, I had my very first kiss, the first of many over the coming years.

It was wonderful.


End file.
